A New Path
by treealchemy
Summary: Set at the start of fifth year. Voldemort came up with a different plan to deal with Harry. (An heir fic)
1. A New Path

AN: For the most part not so much a new story as a change of view with a slight twist.

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A New Path

Prompts: target; virtue; umbrella; snake; image; hate; ambush; clear;

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The target was in sight.

He watched as the boy idly swung on the playground swing, all the others broken. He'd seen him vault the dark park's locked gate just moments early. A group of other teenagers were approaching loudly, one appeared to be singing.

From the darkness, he watched as the boy followed the others as they left. He watched as the boy followed the leader of the group, a large, dim-looking boy.

When the last of the large boy's group had left, he watched as his target walked up to the large boy and greeted him.

He didn't pay any heed to what was said, just stood in the shadows and watched as the larger boy grew increasingly angry. The thought that it seemed to be a major talent of the smaller boy's made itself known.

Amusement flashed through his mind as the boy casually drew his wand beside the larger boy. Clearly the large boy knew what was good for him as he glanced wearily at the piece of wood, the sight of it clearly making him fearful.

He chuckled darkly at the thought that the old man believed this boy to nothing but virtue.

The boy continued to play with the larger boy, he could hear scraps of the conversation.

"How d'you know they haven't changed the rules, Big D?"

"They haven't,"

There was a soft laugh, but it carried in the still night air.

The two boys stopped walking soon after that and he watched as the larger boy turned, triumphantly, on the smaller one. The smaller boy looked taken aback for a moment before he recovered.

"'Don't kill Cedric! Don't kill Cedric!' Who's Cedric - your boyfriend?"

He blinked and stepped closer, tightening his disillusionment and using the shadows like an umbrella to shield him from the boy's vision lest he notice the slight difference in the air. He couldn't care less about the larger boy.

The smaller boy looked both confused and a little scared now but the anger underneath was growing.

"'Come and help me, Dad! Mum, come and help me! He's killed Cedric! Dad, help me! He's going to -' Don't you point that thing at me!"

He had to hold in a laugh as the smaller boy held his wand to the larger, pointed directly at his heart, a fierce anger on his face.

The body of a small, dead snake flashed across his vision and he blinked.

He tried to focus on the boy again.

An image of a sad, lonely child entered his mind and he frowned. He looked up at the boy.

The hate in his green eyes was obvious, even from this distance, but it was quickly smothered and replaced with an artistically crafted and semi-real scared look.

The stars were gone, silent darkness surrounded.

Dementors?

Here?

The larger boy was swinging his fists, complaining about being blind.

Just before the ambush, a fist connected with the smaller boy's head sending him flying and his wand rolling along the ground.

"You moron, Dudley!"

He kept his distance as the boy fought them off, near failing initially despite a wandless lumos to find his fallen wand. He watched the boy cast his patronus and confusingly found himself smiling at the boy's skill.

He heard before he saw the old squib arrive and tailed behind as she escorted the boy and his pathetic cousin back to their home.

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He waited outside until the coast was clear, wary of a 'Mr Tibbles' hiding beneath a car or some other crevice. Obviously a kneazle. He'd been able to hear the raised voices even if the words were obscured by the walls and found himself pacing in anger. Muggles! Multiple owls made appearances in the hour following their return.

A few hours passed before he made his move. With magic currently not an option unless he wished to be discovered, he carefully travelled around to the back of the house. A window on the upper floor was open, he witnessed an owl fly out of it. This one he recognised as the curseable boy's own so he took it as his cue.

Feeling like an infant, he threw a rock through the open window. He heard a faint 'ow' and smiled to himself. A dark haired head popped out briefly a second later and he knew he had the right room.

Using one of the potions he'd prepared earlier, just in case, he floated up to the window and smoothly slid inside.

The boy was sat calmly on the bed, but a frown covered his face. The boy turned in his direction.

"Hello Harry." Voldemort said coolly, still disillusioned.

Harry's eyes widened and he reached for his wand.

Voldemort reached forward and snatched it from where it lay.

"Now, now, Harry. I come peacefully."

Harry froze.

"You have proven quite the complication." Voldemort told him smoothly. "And it has occurred to me that I would be much better off ceasing my attempts to, ah, shall we say remove you."

"To kill me."

"Alright, to kill you. I came here tonight to offer you a second chance. The same offer I gave you 3 years ago. Join me."

"Why would I do that?"

"I presume you are unaware there is a prophecy regarding the two of us." At Harry's blank look, Voldemort continued. "Well there is and it states that you will be the one to defeat me. I propose that you join me as an apprentice of sorts, quite possibly as my future heir and in return those you call your friends will no longer need to fear for their lives."

"You would not live here." Voldemort added with extreme distaste.

Harry considered the offer for a moment.

"Genuine?"

Voldemort chuckled. "Yes. Genuine. You take up much too much of my time as it is, I feel at least this way we both get something out of it."

Harry couldn't help a small laugh at that. "Alright."

Voldemort grinned.

"One question, how did you get in here? I thought there were wards?"

"Yes. Blood wards, tied to you and your family. And, Harry, what did I use during my resurrection?"

"My blood." Harry answered his own question.

Voldemort smiled, dropping his disillusionment. "Come. Let us leave this awful abode."

And, with Harry awkwardly holding his arm, Voldemort apparated out of Little Whinging.

Moments later the aurors arrived. Much to the Dursleys' horror.

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AN: Thank you for reading. Please consider leaving a review and/or faving this fic.


	2. Malfoy Manor

A New Path

AN: Wow, the most favs/follows I've had to date. And in only a few days of posting. =D It may be a small number compared to other fics but it makes me smile.

Just for note, this fic was supposed to be a one-shot but when I posted the first (and at the time only) chapter I had a sudden desire to continue it. I'm not overly sure if it was the right call so reviews are _very_ welcome and yes I do respond to them, even if it's only to say thank you.

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CHAPTER 2 - Malfoy Manor

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They arrived in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor.

"Here?" Harry asked letting go of Voldemort's arm the moment they arrived.

Voldemort turned to him with a smirk. "Of course."

He strode away but in a manner that indicated for Harry to follow. They left the grand foyer for Voldemort's personal rooms passing through many halls but somehow managing to avoid meeting anyone else.

"As I am sure you are aware, I have been somewhat unneeding of the same accommodation as I require now for many years recently." Voldemort began as they walked. "On hearing of my return, Lucius kindly arranged for living quarters to be made for me in his home should I need them. I, of course, did not decline."

"Father's manor not up to scratch?" Harry asked off-handedly, then winced. He glanced at the pale man walking ahead of him. Saw him ever-so-slightly tense.

"Yes. Something like that." Voldemort answered, his voice cold.

"Sorry." Harry muttered. "Habit, sort of."

He heard Voldemort laugh and looked directly at the man.

"If you are to be my heir you will refrain from muttering." Voldemort told the teen.

"Thought I was just an apprentice. Of sorts." Harry prodded carefully.

For the first time in his life, Harry saw Voldemort smile. A genuine, happy, and not in a cruel way, smile. He blinked.

"That is a possibility." Voldemort agreed.

Harry narrowed his eyes and stared at the dark wizard. "I get the impression I'm going to have to really listen to what you say to understand what you mean." He told him.

Voldemort laughed again, opening a door with a wave of his hand and beckoning Harry to enter. "We'll make a Slytherin of you yet." He teased.

Harry couldn't resist. "No need. The sorting hat wanted to put me there anyway."

The look on Voldemort's face was priceless, even if it only lasted a fraction of a second and Harry almost missed it.

"Do explain." The older wizard prompted choosing a seat by the open fire.

"Exactly what I said." Harry answered casually, opting to sit in the chair opposite. "I just," he choose his words carefully, "asked to be put somewhere else." Voldemort gave him a quizzical look. "I may have taken a strong disliking to a certain blond and severely spoilt brat." He finished in the same aloof tone.

"Really?"

Harry was slightly nervous, Voldemort had that expression that said he thought something was interesting. And that normally meant bad things for Harry. He resisted squirming, barely.

"So..." Harry said in an attempt to steer the conversation a different way. "Um..."

Voldemort met Harry's eyes. "What do I have planned for you?"

"Yes."

"You will require a new identity. At least, for the moment." He stated. Before Harry could respond, he added. "There are many Death Eaters, and other supporters, that will take great difficulty in accepting your change in, shall we say, status."

"I.e. no longer enemy number one."

Voldemort laughed. "You rate yourself highly I see." Harry blushed. "But yes, along those lines. There are other reasons also, many of these you do not need to bother yourself with just yet. The other main reason to hide your true self is that I don't want Dumbledore," he spat the name out like it tasted foul in his mouth, "to discover you before I am ready. Before we are ready." He corrected.

Harry nodded. "Makes sense."

At that moment, a house elf appeared, hands wringing nervously behind its back.

Voldemort turned his attention to the small creature. "Yes?"

"Sorrys to bes disturbings you Master Dark Lord, Sir. Master Malfoy wishes to speaks withs Master Dark Lord, sir. Hes bes in the Master Lounge, Master Dark Lord, sir." The elf bowed very low.

As the house elf reached the lowest point of its bow, Voldemort spoke. "Tell Lucius I shall be along he see him shortly." He looked at Harry. "And would you bring Mister Potter, here, some refreshments while he waits."

The house elf bowed again, its nose just shy of touching the floor, and left.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know _you_ took orders from your Death Eaters." He said with a cheeky smirk, his confidence steadily returning.

"I don't." Voldemort answered sharply. "However, the elves know they are not to disturb me when I am meeting with various people unless it is absolutely urgent. Therefore, Lucius must have something he considers of great importance and-or short timing to tell me." He stood. "You will have to forgive me while I deal with this."

Voldemort stopped at the door and turned back to the still seated teen. "Do Not leave this room." He ordered.

And then he was gone.

The house elf returned moments later with a tray of snacks and a drink. Harry thanked her, possibly a he but probably not, before she left. He then sat back and waited, thinking about what he'd got himself into this time.

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Voldemort strode through the halls of Malfoy Manor to the Master Lounge. Lucius was stood by the magicked window, staring at the artificial flowers in the illusionary garden. The lounge, being in the centre of the manor, didn't have any outer walls so, like many of the inner rooms, had magically created windows to the outside world, real or false.

Voldemort cleared his throat and Lucius spun around.

"My Lord." Lucius fell to his knees. "I beg your forgiveness but I believed you would want to hear my news as soon as possible." He waited, head bowed.

"Stand." Voldemort ordered.

Lucius stood. He waited only a moment before he spoke. "There is news among the upper ranks in the Ministry that the Potter boy has disappeared." Lucius stopped speaking, Voldemort seemed to be laughing at him. "My Lord?" He asked carefully.

"It seems your urgent news is belated. I already know of the boy's leaving." Voldemort said. Lucius was suddenly rather nervous. "Tell me Lucius, do you know anything of the dementors roaming Surrey?"

Lucius frowned. "Dementors?" He confirmed. "I have heard nothing to suggest-"

"They were there before he left, Lucius, they came for him. What I wish to know is whether it was the Ministry's doing or someone else's."

"All I can say is there have been complaints from some of the guards at Azkaban about the dementors complaining about the boy, but, other than that, there is nothing to suggest any Ministry involvement."

Voldemort stared regally at the senior Malfoy. "Was there anything else to report?"

"No, my Lord. I believed the Potter boy's disappearance important enough alone. Please forgive my error."

"Leave." Voldemort ordered with a flick of his wrist towards the door.

"Thank you my Lord." Lucius bowed gratefully before hastily retreating.

Voldemort stood alone in the Master Lounge. He sighed internally - appearances are everything, can't risk people seeing improper things - and glanced at the window's magical display, thinking about what he'd just done.

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Harry stared at the fire crackling in the fireplace.

The room wasn't how he'd imagined it would be. No skulls or gory decorations, no black - well a bit of black but a lot less than he'd expected - and a lot more light than the title _Dark_ Lord suggested. The books on the ceiling high bookcases were about right though. Books covering every topic imaginable, especially within the dark arts, is what Harry expected and while this particular room only had enough room for at most two thousand books - a large part of one wall and some of another, that seemed to be enough. That said, Harry didn't doubt that somewhere, and probably nearby, there was an absolutely massive library.

Out of boredom and curiosity, Harry walked up to the nearest case and studied a few titles.

Suddenly the doors opened and Harry turned as Voldemort re-entered the room.

"My apologies."

"You know, it's getting strange, this, and you apologies to me just adds to the weirdness. It's making my head spin." Harry told him, returning to his seat by the fire.

Voldemort laughed, "You will recover." He said, sitting down. "But I won't be making a habit of it, don't fear." He added with a smirk.

Harry, now as fully relaxed as anyone can be around Voldemort, smiled back. "Shame. I won't let it go to my head then."

Voldemort leant back into his chair. "Shall we return to our conversation. As I said, the first task we have is to create your temporary new identity that we will use to introduce you to the Death Eaters and other associates."

"Will I need a glamour too?" Harry asked. "I'm kind of recognisable after all."

"Of course." Voldemort nodded. "You will need to wear it at all times. I shall create a charm for you to wear on a chain so that you can remove it when required without needing to recast the glamour yourself. On that note, please refrain from using magic for the time being, it can be traced. I will be removing the traces on both you and your wand in due time however knowing, Dumbledore, there will be more than just the normal spells to counter." He took a breath. "Whilst the wards can handle most of what that old fool may have done, I have taken the precaution of strengthening the wards surrounding my, our, living quarters in particular."

Harry nodded. "Okay. Simple. Sort of."

"I see you were interested in my books." Voldemort said, changing the subject. "Anything in particular?"

Harry blushed slightly. "I was just looking." He said. "This place isn't exactly what I expected it to look like."

Voldemort chuckled. "I imagine. Remember propaganda can do that. Much of what you think you know about my side in this war is most likely incorrect, or at least exaggerated."

"Okay."

"How is your school work? From what Barty told me last year you are quite talented but put little work in."

"Get distracted is probably truer." Harry said, his cheeks reddening further.

Voldemort laughed. "I don't ask to cause you embarrassment, I merely wish to know what subjects you require additional teaching in."

Harry thought for a moment and then answered. "Well, I could probably catch up with most subjects easily by just going over my old textbooks, but maybe potions? I don't really get on with Snape and after my first class I haven't really tried too hard outside of lessons."

Voldemort nodded. A smirk appeared on his face and Harry automatically went on defence.

"I am surprised." Voldemort told him casually. "I thought Severus would have wanted to gain your confidence, much like he did with your mother. Perhaps it is because you remind him of your father." The smirk was still there.

Harry tried to hold back his curiosity but failed. "What do you mean? He knew my parents? No, I know he knew my parents, I mean, he was friends with my mother?"

"Perhaps you should try asking Severus?" Voldemort suggested, still casually, enjoying playing with Harry's mind. "Consider it Slytherin practice." He added.

It was Harry's turn to smirk now. "Talking of Slytherin, it's bugged me for a while. What's with your tactics? They're not exactly Slytherin, are they, much more Gryffindory."

Voldemort smiled and laughed. "Very true. Somewhat of recent." He said when the majority of his laughter had passed. "And perhaps towards the end of the last war too." He sobered. "I am ashamed to say I was, perhaps, a little, not of my right mind for some time. You see there are some dark arts that bring with them effects on the caster's mind when used."

Harry leaned forward in his seat.

"I will not discuss the details with you just yet, not until you have proved yourself, but I will say that I have done many things I would not have otherwise done and it has been due to under-researched and premature actions on my part."

Harry waited but no more came. "So, you're, um, okay now?" He asked, unsure how to phrase such a question, especially to a wizard as dangerous and easily angered as the one sat across from him.

"I am much more stable, yes. Although some things are irreversible, I am myself again." Voldemort paused in thought for a second. "I ask you to be yourself in not being afraid to tell me if I seem, shall we say, illogical. My Death Eaters are, it seems, too afraid to tell me whereas I am sure you would be more than happy with the task."

"Right, got it, tell you if I think you're being insane. Think I can manage that. Probably'd do it anyway." Harry said with a smile.

Voldemort smiled back. "Come. We should find you a room. Defending against dementors can be quite wearying for someone of your age."

Harry gasped. "You know about that?" He asked, trying to keep the accusing tone out of his voice.

"It was not me, if that's what you are wondering." Voldemort told him, face to face. "I followed you from the park and witnessed the attack from a distance." He confessed. "And may I say, that cousin of your is quite the fool and I doubt his parents are much different. You impress me by being able to ignore their bigotry and ignorance without turning on them."

Harry smiled a sweet but evil-tainted smile. "Slytherin tactics work on Muggles too." He told the older wizard. "Especially ones who are scared of magic while at the same time hate anyone with it."

They both laughed.

"Come."

Voldemort led them down the halls, still devoid of other life. After a short walk they reached a set of doors.

"You will sleep here." Voldemort told him. "I will arrange for a house elf to be appointed to you and, after we have confirmed your new name tomorrow morning, you will be free to roam but for now remain in this room."

Harry nodded.

"I will have sent your elf over with your glamour by the time you wake." Voldemort told the teen.

"Don't I get a say in what I look like?" Harry asked.

"No."

"Oh." Hary didn't push. "Um, goodnight then." He said uncertainly.

Voldemort paused for a moment before he left. "Goodnight." He said, shifting as if he wasn't used to using the nicety.

Harry watched Voldemort leave before he entered his new room. The second he was inside his mouth dropped and a "wow" escaped his lips.

It was big. Much bigger than anything he'd known before, you could fit all of the upper floor of the Dursley's house comfortably in with room to spare.

A large bed occupied one wall, staring welcomingly at Harry. A set of pyjamas were waiting on the bed and, after a moment's hesitation, he changed into them.

Tentatively, Harry climbed into the huge bed. The moment his head touched the pillow he was asleep.

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Harry woke up to a pair of large, glassy eyes watching him. His natural and honed reflexes kicked in and he found himself on the opposite side of the bed, on the floor, rubbing his backside where he'd landed with quite a thump.

"Sorrys young master Potter." The house elf said. Harry was pretty sure it was the same one from before. "Master Dark Lord has ordered Dinky to bes Master Potter's personal elf, sir. Dinky is bringings Master Potter his breakfast, sir, if Master Potter woulds like, sir." She said, a delicate hand reaching up to twist an ear for startling her new master.

"No, Dinky, don't punish yourself." He ordered. "Um, yes, breakfast would be nice." Dinky's eyes locked onto Harry's. "Um, Toast?"

Dinky smiled happily and disapparated away.

Harry stood and looked around his room. His room, he still couldn't get the idea to stay.

Glancing at his dresser, Harry saw a simple necklace waiting for him. He walked over and picked it up. It was a simple silver colour, shaped like a snake but not in a very complicated way. The snake was held by a thick, black string with no discernible end, just one continuous loop.

Walking to his full-length mirror, Harry slipped the necklace over his head and around his neck.

In the mirror, his appearance flickered and changed. His black hair was still black but was now tamed and shorter. His eyes were a shade of blue that resembled a Mediterranean sea and his scar had completely disappeared. He noticed that other than that he seemed to be almost the same. Slight changes to his chin and nose were so slight that at first he'd missed them and he seemed to have filled out a bit so that he looked a lot healthier.

Harry took the charm off and stared at himself in the mirror. Then he put it back on again. Then off. Then on. He did it a few times watching himself change before his eyes before he finally settled with it on.

The elf had appeared while Harry had been playing with his glamour and was watching with a plate of toast beside the doorway.

"Oh! Sorry Dinky, thank you." Harry said as he noticed her.

She placed the plate on a table Harry hadn't notice the night before and bowed. "Would Master Potter likes Dinky to tells Master Dark Lord that Master Potter bes awakes, sir?" She asked.

Harry blinked away sleep and translated her words in his head before he answered. "Yes please Dinky. I'll just, um, change first before you tell him though." He said looking down at him pyjamas. "Don't really want to be talking to him dressed like this do I." He smiled playfully at the elf and she smiled back.

"Dinky will brings Master Potter fresh clotheses." She said disappearing.

Harry sat down at the table and began eating his toast. He'd only taken two bites when Dinky returned.

"Dinky has new robeses for Master Potter." She announced, the clothes appearing on his bed.

"Please Dinky, call me Harry." Harry asked.

Dinky rung her hands. "Master should be called Master." She told him. "Dinky doesn't wants tos disobey Master Potter but Dinky's following orders from House-Master."

Harry nodded. "Okay. That's fine. Just don't feel you have to around me, alright?"

Dinky smiled weakly.

Harry finished his toast and cleaned himself up, showered and dressed, getting Dinky to use her magic to dry his hair quickly. Only then did Dinky go to Voldemort to tell him Harry was up.

Harry was sat by the table drawing circles with his finger when Voldemort appeared.

Harry, pretending to be too engrossed in his invisible circles to notice, waited for him to speak since he hadn't knocked before entering.

"Playing rude this morning?" Voldemort asked after half a minute's silence.

Harry looked up and said with a shrug. "Well you didn't knock so I assumed you didn't want to announce yourself."

Voldemort, apparently, didn't find it amusing.

Harry cleared his throat. "Um, the glamour works. Thanks." He said.

"Of course it does."

Voldemort pulled out a chair from the table and sat down.

"Do you have any items you wish returned to you from the muggles' house?" He asked. "I must admit it didn't occur to me yesterday."

"Um, there are one or two things." Harry admitted. "Should I send Dinky to get them or, um..."

"Yes, that should be ok. As long as it is discreet she will not be noticed."

"No. They're hidden under the floorboard so no one should notice if they go."

"Good." Voldemort nodded. "Now, your new identity. As I'm sure you can tell from your glamour, you don't need to change a great deal, just enough to make you different. I am thinking we can fill in the details wherever needed when they are needed but for the time being a name, appearance, and simple backstory should be sufficient."

Voldemort looked directly at the glamoured Harry. "You will answer to Harrison and only Harrison for the time being."

Harry frowned. "Isn't that a little obvious?" He asked.

"It is different enough for its purpose and allows a cover should you fail and answer to Harry." Voldemort told him.

"Okay. So what's my backstory?"

"You are not to outright tell people but should anyone ask you are to tell them you are my son."

Harry choked.

Voldemort chuckled. "It also has the advantage of explaining your sudden appearance. It will easily be assumed I would have hidden you from outsiders until you were older enough to defend yourself. To belay suspicion, you are to claim to be six months older than you are."

"Right. So. 16 next January. Harrison. And your son."

"Correct."

Harry breathed in deeply. "This will be interesting." He breathed out. "What do I say when people ask about me about school? Cos that's a pretty popular topic."

Voldemort didn't even stop to think about it. "You will not answer. They will assume what they want and your education cannot be proved false."

Harry nodded.

"Now. We should introduce you to a few Death Eaters so that you are not attacked by one of the idiots." Voldemort stood. "Come. You will meet with Lucius and Narcissus. And a certain blond, spoilt brat." He finished with a grin.

Harry chuckled at the echo of his description of Draco. "He's not as bad now as he was when he was eleven." Harry told Voldemort, standing.

"I do recall. If you remember I was at Hogwarts for your first year." Harry laughed. "Quite. It was not my favourite year at the school by far. For many reasons."

They walked to one of the public lounges bordering the edge of Voldemort's personal living quarters. A family of blondes  
were waiting for them.

"My Lord." Three voices said, bowing in unison.

Voldemort greeted the three Malfoys before turning to Harry. "Allow me to introduce Harrison. You are not to speak of him to those outside of this manor, do I make myself clear?"

The three blondes gave their agreement.

Harry stepped forward at Voldemort's instruction and greeted the Malfoys.

"Hello." He said as Malfoy senior held a hand for him to shake.

"Greetings," he said and then looked at Voldemort, "may I ask, my Lord, who this young man is?"

After shaking Lucius's hand, Harry turned back to Voldemort questioningly.

Voldemort looked Harry in the eye before looking at the three Malfoys. "Harrison is my son." He stated as if it were nothing important.

The three blondes froze in surprise.

Narcissa was the first to recover. "It is a pleasure to meet you my prince." She said with a bow.

It was Harry's turn to freeze now. "Um, the pleasure is mine." He managed to get out while mentally cursing Voldemort for not warning him about the 'prince' reaction.

From the slight frown on Voldemort's face, Harry suspected he'd heard the thought and made a mental note to ask him about their link later.

Draco and Lucius had also recovered by now and also bowed their heads to Harry.

"I would like your son to entertain Harrison from time to time." Voldemort told Draco's parents. He turned to Draco. "You will keep him out of mischief when I, or he, asks."

Harry turned around and glared at Voldemort. "Out of mischief?" He asked in an offended tone. Behind him Narcissa and Draco were smothering a slight amused smile, Lucius's face was oddly blank.

Voldemort turned Harry back around with a little push of magic. "You cannot deny it." He stated, closing the subject. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that this, Harrison, is to remain a secret, even among my followers." He said to the still waiting family.

"Understood." "Yes, sir." "Of course, my Lord." Were the answers.

"Good." He said, leaving Harry alone with the Malfoys.

There was silence.

Harry fidgeted with his fingers.

After a few seconds more Draco stepped forward. "Hi." He said with a hand out. "I'm Draco."

Harry eyed the hand for a moment before shaking it. "Harrison." He said. "Although you probably got that."

They laughed.

Behind the two teens, Narcissa gripped her husband's arm. "Shall we leave the two boys to become acquainted." She told him with a tug towards the door.

"Lets." He agreed. And they left.

"Um, how old are you?" Draco asked nervously now they were alone. "I haven't seen you at school."

"Fifteen." Harry lied as instructed, even though it wouldn't be long until he really was fifteen. He didn't answer the second not-question. Draco didn't push the topic and Harry relaxed a little.

"I'm on the Quidditch team in school. You ever played?"

Harry baulked. "Yeah." He answered carefully. "Pretty good at it too."

"Cool. Maybe we could have a game sometime?" Draco asked earnestly.

Harry smiled. "That'd be nice." He looked around the room. "So what d'you do around here for fun then?" He asked, getting into his role.

"Come on, I'll show you." Draco said walking to the door.

Harry made to follow and then thought. "I have to warn you I'm on a magic ban." He said. "And I'm not allowed to leave the manor."

Draco nodded understanding. "Still things we can do though." He said, and Harry followed him out.

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AN: Don't know how often the updates will be yet but hopefully the chapter sizes will make up for that. In theory they'll only get bigger.

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edit 9/11/13: name/spelling corrections. For those who are wondering, I'm almost done with the next chapter. It will be up soon.


	3. Making Headlines

A New Path

AN: A big thank you to my many new fav/followers.

And thanks to my reviewers for pointing out a few things. Some were done on purpose, others were forgotten, so thank you.

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CHAPTER 3 - Making Headlines

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"What do you mean Draco knows who you are?"

Harry was standing in front of a very annoyed, but thankfully not yet angry, Dark Lord.

"I guess Harrison _was_ a bit too obvious." Harry said carefully. "And apparently his parents are suspicious too. Apparently I'm a bit too small and not bright enough to be your son."

Voldemort growled and Harry took a step back.

"Elf!" Voldemort called. A small house elf apparated into the room. "Bring the Malfoy family here immediately. No excuses." He snapped at the frightened creature. It disapparated at first chance.

Moments later three blonde figures entered the room.

"My Lord." They each greeted with a bow. Draco was stood slightly behind his father. They all glanced briefly at Harry before facing the now angry wizard in front of them.

"I take it you are all aware of who exactly Harrison is?" Voldemort asked, his voice like ice.

Lucius stepped forward. "I am afraid we are, my Lord." He admitted. "I speak for my family when I say we have not shared the knowledge with anyone else. I believe he has not yet met any person beside ourselves either."

Voldemort nodded.

There was a brief staring contest between Voldemort and each Malfoy.

Suddenly Voldemort's wand was pointed at Draco and then Lucius. Two spells were cast, obliviates.

"Leave." He ordered of the two Malfoy men.

Draco glanced briefly at his mother and then he and his father left.

"My Lord?" Narcissa asked fearfully. "Have I done something to displease you?"

"Your son and husband no longer remember Harrison, Harry. You are not to speak to them, or anyone, of him." Voldemort told her. "I will require an oath at least on the subject." Narcissa nodded. "You will also be required to treat Harry for any conditions he has acquired due to his time with muggles. It is quite obvious he is undernourished."

Harry stood to one side watching keenly. Once Narcissa had made an unbreakable vow to keep Harry secret unless explicitly told otherwise, and left, Harry turned on a now calmer Voldemort, musing on how fluctuating his moods were.

"Ha! Your plan failed." He sung. "Do I get a say now?" He added sweetly.

Voldemort glared.

"Careful. I almost feel killing you would be simpler."

Harry backed down quickly.

"Still. Do I?" He asked as nicely as he could.

Voldemort turned away, flicking his wrist in Harry's direction as if to flick the teen away. He didn't agree, but he didn't say no either.

"Perhaps I should be younger?" Harry suggested.

Voldemort turned back to look at him.

"The Death Eaters probably expect a prodigy and I am small for my age..."

"I did consider it. However, as I'm sure you recall, _someone_ bereft me of a physical body when he was 15 months old. It would not be believable."

Harry glanced at the floor. "I could be fourth year, even third." He looked up. "Third works. That way you wouldn't have known about me until late on."

Voldemort fought down his smile at the idea. It was good. But he wanted to hate Harry right now.

"Alright." He conceded. "You're 13."

"And not called Harrison?"

"No. And you better not mess it up."

Harry smiled. "I won't. What am I called then? What would you actually call your son if you had one?"

"Refuse to be called anything but Prince."

"But-"

"No. You will not be needing it long anyway. It is only a temporary identity. Now go find Narcissa for her to examine you and avoid everyone else. I don't want to see you again until much later."

.

Narcissa was very kind to Harry if a little bit nervous after her conversation with Voldemort.

"Sorry." Harry mustered.

She looked up from the potions she was looking through. "Whatever for?"

"Getting you mixed up in the middle of this. It's still a bit muddled right now."

She smiled. "I understand and of course it is." She glanced around and cast multiple spells. The room became quieter and Harry assumed the spells she'd cast were for privacy.

"You don't mind do you? Me being here?" He asked once he was sure she had finished.

"You are welcome here Mister Potter." She said kindly. "What has he said to call yourself now?"

"I'm not to answer to anything but Prince." He told her.

She laughed.

"I imagine had you really been his son that _would_ be the case, so it is quite apt."

She picked up several phials and showed them to Harry. "These are the potions I want you to take each day until I say you are recovered." She said. "I will get Severus to make me a supply so that we don't run out."

A bell went off in Harry's mind and his eyes widened. "Snape!"

Narcissa looked over her shoulder and around the empty room. "Harry? Are you alright?"

Harry looked her in the face. "Snape's a Death Eater?"

"Yes he is." Narcissa confirmed.

"And he works for Dumbledore." Harry added.

Narcissa understood. "I will refrain from ordering the potions until the matter has been discussed with the Dark Lord. I'm sure he will wish to decide what Severus knows and can tell the Headmaster."

Harry breathed out.

"Now what I wanted to ask, if I am allowed, is how come you are here? I thought the Dark Lord wanted to kill you?"

"Mrs Malfoy, I don't know if I can tell you." Harry answered honestly.

Narcissa nodded. "Call me Cissy, child, and I understand. But I must ask, did you run away like the papers and ministry claim or did he, I don't know, collect you?"

Harry blinked. "The what?"

.

"Did you know about these?" Harry asked bursting in on a reading Voldemort who proceeded to glare at the teenaged wizard.

"I thought I told you I didn't want to see you until _much_ later." He answered. "As in, go away."

Harry ignored him, his own anger blinding him to any potential danger, and flung a paper at the Dark Lord.

Voldemort picked it up off his book and looked at the headline. He smirked.

"It's not funny." Harry pouted.

"Don't pout." Voldemort ordered absently. His eyes scanned the article quickly before he lowered the paper and faced the angry teen. "So you're a runaway and murder suspect are you?" He asked innocently.

Harry glared.

"No, I did not know of these but they could easily be predicted." He placed the paper on a low table to one side of his chair and, after marking his place, put his book beside it.

"Who may I ask informed you of them?"

"Cissy." Harry told him. "Oh, and what are you doing about Snape? You know he'll tell Dumbles. It's not something he can risk keeping to himself."

"He will not know."

"But he will. Cissy needs him to make potions for me and as much as I hate to admit it, he's not dumb."

"I did not mean Severus."

Harry blanked. "Huh?"

"The Old Fool will not know. Severus will not tell him."

Harry peered at Voldemort through narrowed eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Do not question me." He snapped.

"To be fair, your last plan involving me failed so I've a right to ask. In fact most of them seem to."

Voldemort growled but Harry stood his ground.

"He will not tell him because I will make him vow not to."

Harry nodded. "That could work."

Voldemort growled again.

"Go!"

Harry skipped out of the room in a better mood than when he entered.

.

After the first one the headlines came thick and fast on almost every publication. "Boy-Who-Lived Flees". "Potter Disappears After Student Death". They wouldn't stop and Harry found himself getting very frustrated as the days wore on.

"This is your fault." He told Voldemort grumpily.

Voldemort merely laughed as a reply.

He was due to see Cissy again and it was the first time he would see Snape since he'd arrived at the manor. To say he was nervous was a little understating it.

"Later today I will teacher you a Hogwarts subject, you may choose which." Voldemort said suddenly.

Harry looked up questioningly.

"You will need to improve your magic. As you said, the Death Eaters will be expecting a prodigy."

Harry sighed. "Will you be teaching me everything?" He asked.

"No. I shall order Rodolphus to teach you most subjects once he is out of Azkaban." Voldemort answered. "His mind willing." He added as an afterthought.

"Who?"

"Bella's husband. He is rather talented at teaching most subjects. Should you wish to learn the dark arts it would be Bella or myself who teaches you."

"And you'll be teaching me until then?"

Voldemort nodded. "Yes. But only if you read the books thoroughly. I will not waste my time teaching you what you couldn't be bothered to learn."

"That's a great motivator." Harry muttered.

"No muttering." Voldemort reminded him. "And if you would prefer I will happily crucio you each time you fail." He added casually without looking up from his paperwork.

Harry bit his tongue and glanced at what the older wizard was doing. "What is that anyway?" He asked.

"Aren't you supposed to be visiting Cissy?"

"Not yet. So?"

"Plans."

"For?"

"Stop asking questions."

"Not gonna tell me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're annoying."

"That's not a reason."

There was a flash of movement.

"Ow. That hurt."

"Next time it _will_ be a crucio."

"Think I'll go find Cissy."

"Good idea."

Harry left the grumpy Dark Lord to his plans for world domination and strolled through their private section of Malfoy Manor until he reached the hall he knew would take him to Narcissa' healing room quickly.

When he arrived Cissy was already there. Unfortunately, so was Snape.

"Cissy." Harry greeted.

"Prince." She bowed.

Snape raised an eyebrow but bowed too. "Prince."

Harry glanced at Cissy as if to ask 'he doesn't know yet?' She shook her head to say she didn't know for sure.

"Severus." Harry greeted to play it safe.

"I think you mean Professor." Snape replied.

Harry mentally cursed and got a mental nudge from Voldemort in return, reminding him he still hadn't asked about their link.

"What do you mean Severus?" Cissy asked the potions professor.

Snape looked from Harry to her, casting a privacy charm before he spoke. "The Dark Lord has informed me of the situation." He said. "I was told you knew also."

"I forgot about that." Harry said quietly.

"What is that H-Prince?"

"Voldie said he'd get him to make a vow too. I forgot."

"I think you mean the Dark Lord." Snape corrected. "It seems you are having trouble with titles today Po-Prince."

"You too by the sounds of it."

"Enough." Cissy said taking a step between them. "We all know and it's a big change that will take time to adjust to. Shall we get on with what we came to do?"

Snape turned from Harry and walked to the potion shelves. He turned back to Cissy. "What will you need?"

"Allow me to examine the Prince, here, first and I shall tell you." She answered, tapping a bed for Harry to hop on to. She began the same way she had before, with testing spells and measurements, comparing them to her previous notes.

Snape stood in the corner and waited.

.

Dumbledore sat at the head of the long table staring grimly at the faces surrounding him.

"As I am sure you all know, Harry Potter has not been seen for several days." He began. There was a sob from the direction of the Weasley matriarch. "What hasn't been reported in the papers is that hours before he left two dementors attacked him and his cousin not far from their house."

There were a collection of gasps from the non-ministry Order members.

Albus looked quietly at his hands while the accompanying murmurs subsided.

"We know he arrived home safely and we know he was last seen going to his room at around 9:45pm but after that becomes more complicated." Dumbledore glanced at the auror Shacklebolt.

"It is common knowledge among the aurors who were sent to investigate that at ten-oh-three pm a wizard, or witch, disapparated from the Dursley residence." The auror picked up. "Whilst my colleagues are following the belief that it was Harry, I do not believe it to be so. He is too young, he has not been taught how."

The people around the table agreed.

"Oh, Dumbledore, what can we do?" Molly Weasley wailed.

"Voldemort hasn't taken him has he?" Remus Lupin asked.

Dumbledore looked down at his hands again. "I'm afraid I believe that may be the case." He said. "I can confirm that the magic that transported Harry was not his own, however I cannot say whose it was or to where they went."

The door to the Grimmauld Place kitchen opened suddenly and a dark figure entered.

"Good of you to join us Severus." Moody barked.

Snape spared him a sneer before addressing the headmaster. "Apologies, I hope I'm not too late."

Albus smiled at him. "Not at all, just in time in fact."

Severus glanced around the room at the faces present.

"What does You-Know-Who know?"

"Have you seen Harry?"

"Does He have him?"

Snape waited for the questions to tail off. "I have not seen the boy." He stated to sounds of disapproval. "But I do believe the Dark Lord was responsible for his disappearance. I will continue to keep my eyes and ears peeled."

Dumbledore dipped his head in thanks.

"Come on Snape. You can't expect us to believe you don't know. What good are you as a spy if you can't find out something like that?"

"Would you prefer to do my job Jones?" Snape asked the black-haired witch.

"I was merely saying, surely you could help more? I mean, this is Harry. He could be in a dungeon somewhere, trapped and in pain."

Molly was crying steadily now, her husband cradling her shaking form.

"We will find him." Dumbledore told the table firmly and without room for doubt.

.

The evening found Harry and Voldemort alone again in Voldemort's private lounge. After the incident with the Malfoys, Harry had been avoiding leaving their quarters wherever possible. Voldemort was away often and there was only so long Dinky could keep Harry occupied, so Harry found himself actually re-reading his, or more precisely Draco's, first and second year books.

"What subject have you chosen then?" Voldemort asked the young wizard.

Harry looked at the books he'd brought with him. "I was thinking something like Transfiguration because it's complicated? Or maybe charms because they cover the basics?" He looked up at Voldemort.

Voldemort glanced at Harry's books. And then at the teen. And then at the books again, there were more than just the two subjects piled there. "Clearly you plan to take advantage of my offer." He said staring Harry directly in the eye, Harry nibbled his lip and smirked. Voldemort smiled and laughed. "Secret Slytherin indeed. What are you stuck on? What do you actually require explained?"

Harry thought for a long moment. "Well, I think I've got most of it down from simply reading the books rather than skimming through them but there are a few things in each I wanted to ask about." He admitted. "But what I want to ask about more is this." He touched his scar.

Voldemort cocked his head, interested. "What exactly did you want to ask?"

"We've got some kind of link though it, haven't we? I mean, it reacts to you when you're near and last year I saw a few things when I was asleep. I think they came from you. Now I think about it, maybe before then too..." Harry trailed off.

Voldemort watched harry for several long, quiet seconds.

"Yes." He said at last. "I believe we do."

Harry waited.

"And?" He prompted.

Voldemort looked away and Harry sensed something akin to shame in his voice when he spoke. "That is all I know. I, I have yet to discover much about it. Believe me when I say I intend to research the topic thoroughly now that I have my own body again."

Harry nodded. "But can, I don't know,-"

"Can I - to use words you would be familiar with - read your mind? Yes. I believe the things you saw were in fact the opposite, you using, no doubt unintentional, Legilimency on me while I was unaware it possible and less able to prevent such intrusions."

"Sorry."

Voldemort chuckled. "It is done, nothing can change that. Given what you could have seen it may be me who should apologise. Not that I will. I would however be most appreciative if you would desist." The last sentence was accompanied by a fierce stare.

"Um, yes, of course." Harry stared at his suddenly very interesting fingernails.

"Perhaps we should return to the original topic, what were you confused about in," he picked up the top book, "History of Magic?" Voldemort glanced at the title. "That can wait. Let's start with," he picked up another book, "Herbology? Fine, what do you need there?"

Harry pushed down his childish giggle at the Dark Lord and moved closer to flick through the book.

Voldemort, for once, didn't complain about his proximity.

.

The letter arrived with a severe looking owl.

Albus retrieved the note sadly. It was the letter with the new time of Harry's hearing, there was no doubting, not with the ministry seal.

He opened it.

Nine o'clock on the twelfth of August.

Same as before.

It had taken a lot to wrangle the new meeting to prove the boy's innocence in regard to his use of underage magic. Especially with the supposed illegal apparation thrown in. Many at the Ministry still wanted the boy's wand destroyed.

Albus let out a heavy hearted sigh and stroked Fawkes, watching the severe owl's shrinking form fly back to its master.

Now all he had to do was find the poor child.

.

.

Two weeks to the day after he'd arrived at the manor, Harry woke to screams and shouts.

He jumped out of bed, put on a cloak to hide his pyjamas and rushed out to find the commotion.

When he neared the area of the noise he slowed down and peeked from some early morning shadows into Malfoy Manor's entrance hall. Two groups of wizards were there.

"This is preposterous." Lucius was saying. "You cannot just burst into a wizard's home demanding for someone who isn't here to be returned to you. And claiming I am a Death Eater, I was cleared you know."

Harry took a closer look at the people forming the other group and shrunk back putting a wall between him and them.

Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasley, two men and a woman Harry didn't recognise and another he knew to be Moody, his magical eye swinging wildly, stood opposite Lucius and his wife. Severus was there also, avoiding the gaze of the Order members standing in front of him.

Suddenly an arm pulled Harry backwards. There was a small pop and they were in his room again. Voldemort was standing there cross-armed and menacing.

Harry looked down at his assailant and saw Dinky. She curled into herself guiltily, an apologetic expression on her face.

"I would have thought it would have been obvious that you should avoid Alastor Moody on the odd occasion he is here." Voldemort said sternly.

"I didn't know until just now." Harry offered weakly.

Voldemort frowned.

"Stay Here." He ordered, sweeping from the room.

Harry obeyed without argument.

.

Harry and Voldemort were in their private lounge while the Malfoys dealt with the fallout from the Order's unofficial visit. The order members had soon left but Voldemort wasn't letting Harry out of his sight. The Dark Lord had a small pile of papers and books around him and Harry was supposedly re-reading his, Draco's, second-year transfiguration textbook in preparation for a lesson. But he wasn't. Instead he was seeing how much he could get Voldemort to tell him about his plans by continually asking questions.

"There has been a change of plan." Voldemort said after much one-sided discussion. Harry looked directly at him, surprised the older wizard was finally answering. "You will not be staying here."

"What?! Why?"

"Because I cannot keep you here without great difficulty. You will return to Hogwarts with your friends and, before that, to wherever Dumbledore wishes you to remain."

Harry was near speechless, his anger rising quickly.

"No!"

Voldemort glared half-heartedly at the angry teen.

"I will not have you jeopardising my plans which do _not_ involve you because the Old Fool and his Band of Turkeys feel they cannot give up looking for you." He argued. "The decision is final."

"So you're fed up with me and chucking me back?" Harry asked, the hurt in his voice blatant.

"No."

Harry frowned through his anguish. "What?"

"I did not say that. You will return to stay where he wishes but you will remain with me and be protected by the followers I order to watch over you."

Harry blinked a few times to make sure he didn't cry in front of Voldemort.

"Really?"

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at Harry. "What do you take me for? The kind of person to raise hope only to take it away?" He paused. "Don't answer that." He added quickly. "I know how it feels to think you are wanted only to find out the opposite. I would not do that to you."

Harry smiled weakly. "Thanks."

"Today was too close." Voldemort added for Harry's benefit. "The glamour would not have hidden you should a Weasley have seen you, Dumbledore would soon see through it, and Moody would have instantly been suspicious. It is the best way."

Harry repeated Voldemort's words in his head and then frowned. "What do you mean? Dumbles wasn't even here."

Voldemort laughed. "Surely you are aware that the Old Fool is an accomplished Legilimens? No?" He shook his head at Harry's ignorance of the headmaster. "You would do best to avoid all, and I mean all, eye contact with the old goat."

"He wouldn't?"

"He would, and does. Often." Voldemort informed the teen. "Enough of this. Come. I will teach you enough Occulmency to be shielded from most quick glances and Severus will continue your lessons at a later time. I will arrange that he persuade Dumbledore into thinking it was his own idea so that it does not arouse suspicion."

He stood, and after selecting a book from a shelf near the door, settled on the floor in front of the fire.

Voldemort gave Harry a look and the teen settled opposite.

"You will read through the entirety of this book by tomorrow." He ordered touching the cover. Harry nodded, taking it from the floor and flicking through the first few pages. "You cannot take it with you when you go so be sure you do."

Harry put the book down.

"First, I want you to relax." Harry raised an eyebrow. "Shush. Focus on breathing. In. Out."

Harry did as he was told, automatically closing his eyes.

.

The Occulmency lesson came to a close when Harry found himself switching between falling asleep, much to Voldemort's amusement, and occasional fits of laughter, much to his ire.

"We are done here for today." Voldemort said, rising.

He had just reached the door when Harry spoke.

"Could you tell Nagini to stop trying to eat me." He asked suddenly. "She doesn't seem to listen to me."

Voldemort smirked.

"It's not funny! I woke up the other morning with a giant snake watching me with her mouth wide open."

"I will remind her." Voldemort said with barely hidden amusement.

"Thank you."

"Come. Lunch awaits."

Harry followed Voldemort out to what had, over the days, become their joint dining room.

He sat down and a plate appeared in front of him. Voldemort took a seat to his left, leaving a space.

They began their meal in silence, non-topical conversation still not easy between them.

"There are some rules for when you leave." Voldemort said as he watched Harry pick at his food.

Harry looked up.

"I will require you to keep in contact with me as much as you can."

Harry opened his mouth to speak.

"Not by owl. It is too easily intercepted. I will come up with something."

Harry nodded and took another bite.

There was more silence while they both ate.

"You will also put more effort into you studies." Voldemort added after a while.

Harry gave him a look.

"Easier said than done. I don't get the chance, things happen."

"That is no excuse. You have plenty of time you just choose to do other things."

Harry scowled. "I'll try."

Voldemort shook his head. "You will do more than try. You will also look for potential allies."

For this, Harry looked directly at the older wizard.

"I thought I wasn't going to be involved until after I became of age, and then, only if I wanted?"

"These are not allies for me." Voldemort told the teen. "You will need your own. The Bearded Fool will, I'm sure, not hesitate in using you in His plans. Well placed allies will also help you with your studies without making your new intelligence widely known."

Harry bit his tongue.

"Just do it." Voldemort asked. "Trust me?"

"Fine. Somethings might be helpful."

.

AN: This took a while because I got stuck at 3000 words. I tried for some time but in the end I had to shove a short version of what I planned for the next chapter on the end.

Further updates may be slow, sorry. I'll try my best.


	4. Grimmauld Place

A New Path

AN: Fair warning, this chapter has multiple flashback scenes in it so it jumps around quite a bit. The present here is at Grimmauld and the past is Malfoy Manor. I could have written it in chronological order, but I didn't.

.

CHAPTER 4 - Grimmauld Place

.

.

The Order were packed into the long kitchen of Grimmauld Place awaiting the return of Dumbledore and his charge.

The door opened and every head turned to watch the tall wizard enter.

"Mister Potter is to remain undisturbed." Dumbledore told them. He strolled to the end of the bulging table and sat heavily in the only empty chair. "He has been though much these last few days and requires rest. Tomorrow he will tell us what he knows but for now we can rest in peace knowing he is finally safe."

There was a collective sigh.

.

"Harry!"

Harry opened his eyes to the sight of the Weasley twins, Ginny and Ron crowding in through the door. Hermione was stood at the end of his bed.

"How are you?" She asked urgently.

Harry laughed. He couldn't help it. "I won't break." He told his friends. "You don't have to walk on eggshells."

The twins pushed past their brother into the room as Harry rolled his feet out of bed, reaching for his glasses. Hermione handed them to him.

"We're just worried mate." Ron said.

"Yeah, you've been missing two whole weeks." Ginny told him. "The order were searching but they couldn't find you. We were worried."

"We still are." Hermione added. "What did they do? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Hermione. Nothing a good night's sleep didn't help."

She didn't look convinced.

"C'mon mate, breakfast's up." Ron said. His stomach rumbled and the whole room laughed.

"Just give me a minute." Harry said. "I'll follow you down in a bit."

.

Breakfast at Grimmauld was at best busy.

"C'mon Harry, tell us what happened."

Harry put another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"How did you really escape? It wasn't really Snape was it?"

"Don't be silly Ginny, of course it wasn't that slimy bat. He's a death eater."

"Ron! Professor Snape is a spy for the Order. I'm sure he would help where he could."

"Shush, he's finished-"

"-eating. Go on Harry. -"

"- Tell us, what-"

"-happened?"

Harry sighed and looked from face to face.

"I've already told Dumblebore." He said with exaggerated tiredness.

"But you haven't told us." Hermione pointed out. She looked at Ron for support.

"Yeah mate. Come on, tell us. Was it really old bat-face?"

"Ronald Weasley!"

"Sorry Mum."

Harry smiled as the twins ruffled their brother's hair.

"Sorry Ron, it was." He said. "I mean, I broke out. But it was because Snape helped."

"So he didn't actually rescue you?" Ginny asked.

"Well, he couldn't, could he? You-know-who would find out. This way he can still claim innocence." Hermione told her. "Go on Harry."

"Well, I just, legged it. Simple. Once I got out of the cell I made my way out through the gardens. They're huge by the way. Snape must have called the Order or something because by the time the Death Eaters realised I was out there were aurors and people there fighting them. And that's it really. Next thing I was here. Talking to Dumbles." He shrugged. "Simple."

"Oh Harry." Hermione practically threw herself on him.

Harry hugged the girl. "I'm ok, Hermione. Really."

.

_Flashback._

"We will arrange for you to be seen fleeing by the Order." Voldemort said as he and Harry sat in his private study. Harry had the occulmency book on his knee, a pad of paper on top and a self-inking quill in hand.

"What about what I tell Dumbles?"

The Dark Lord smirked. "You will tell him his precious spy released the binds holding you." He answered. "Severus will inform him of the exact details and will also contact the Order to say he has found you."

Harry nodded.

"I will be ordering several Death Eaters to be here for your 'escape.'" Voldemort continued. "They will not know it is staged, and I cannot risk telling them, so I advise you treat it as the real thing."

"Because it pretty much will be once I'm outside."

"Precisely. Lucius has been informed that I will be moving a prisoner into his dungeons soon. It will look like you escaped by incompetence during the move."

"Dumbles should fall for that." Harry agreed.

Voldemort glanced down at Harry's lap. "Have you finished reading that yet?"

Harry looked at the book. He shook his head. "I stayed up most of the night to finish it but by the end I was so confused I had to stop. I've taken notes," he held up the pad, "and tried re-reading some this morning but I think it's something I need someone to explain to me."

Voldemort nodded. "Soon. Later this year perhaps. For now you should be ok as long as you avoid eye contact and practice the preparative mind training I taught you yesterday."

"Every morning." Harry confirmed.

"Good."

_End Flashback._

.

"Harry dear." Molly Weasley called. "Dumbledore has just arrived. He'd like to speak to you if you've finished your breakfast."

"Thank you Mrs Weasley." He stood and carried his bowl to the sink.

As he neared she opened her arms wide. "Come here." A big squishy hug ensued. "We're so glad you're back, safe and sound." She said into his ear before letting go. "Off you pop."

The four Weasley teenagers and Hermione started to follow.

"Oh no you don't." The Weasley matriarch called. "The headmaster wants to see Harry. You five stay right here."

Harry turned back to his friends with a smile. "I'll tell you what happens." He promised.

He left the room and walked down the corridor, passing the portrait of Mrs Black thankfully silent, and entered a room near the front door.

"Harry." Dumbledore greeted.

Harry forced a smiled and stared at the sickly orange pattern on the elderly wizard's robes.

"Headmaster." Harry returned.

"I'm afraid your ordeal is not quite over. There is a small matter of your use of underage magic to deal with."

Harry couldn't help it. He looked directly at Dumbledore. Who just happened to be looking somewhere else.

"But there was a dementor." He argued.

"I know, my dear boy. However we must prove so at a hearing. Mr Weasley will accompany you. It is on the twelfth, tomorrow, at nine." The headmaster paused. "I hope you are keeping well, how are you feeling today?"

Harry looked away from the older wizard again.

"I'm ok. Really. Just glad to back."

He made sure to act like he had been held captive, nervy and relieved, but it didn't seem to matter, Dumbledore was avoiding Harry's gaze as much as Harry was his.

There was a moment of almost awkward silence.

"Very well then, I will leave you to your friends, my boy. I am glad you are alright."

And then Dumbledore left.

Harry stood alone in the room. Confused. He made a mental note to tell Voldemort next time they talked.

.

_Flashback._

It was early morning and a restless Harry Potter was searching his room.

"Dinky?"

The demure house elf popped in.

"Yes Master Potter?" She asked appearing beside the messy figure currently with his head in a drawer.

"Have you seen the clothes I arrived in? I can't really go to the Order dressed in new robes and they're the only clothes from the muggles I have but I can't find them."

Dinky clicked her fingers.

Hearing the noise, Harry pulled his head out of the drawer and looked around.

The oversized second-hand clothes were lying on the bed waiting.

"Thanks." He said, rising.

He stood, staring at the outfit. "Wish I didn't have to wear these again." He said quietly to himself, definitely not muttering. "Dinky, don't you think these should be a bit more, I dunno, ragged. I'm supposed to have been wearing them for two weeks in a dungeon after all." He added turning to face the elf.

Dinky bowed and clicked her fingers again. The clothes became rags and Harry smiled. "Perfect."

He sighed.

"Do you think Voldie will let me have my wand back yet?" He asked.

Whilst the tracking spells had been removed the day after he'd arrived, Voldemort had refused to leave Harry with his wand. On days where he had been trying to practice the spells Voldemort had been teaching him, Harry was forced to use a different wand. No explanation had been given.

"Master Dark Lord is wantings Master Potter to collects Master Potter's wand whens hes seeses Master Dark Lord before Master Potter leaves, Sir." Dinky replied quickly.

After a quick mental translation, Harry smiled what was fast becoming known as his evil smile.

"Then I'd better go visit." He said, picking up the rags and beginning changing.

.

"Can I have my wand?" Came the far too sweet request from the doorway.

Voldemort looked up from his notes on the Hogwarts wards and defences.

"What, are you wearing?" He asked as he saw the teen.

Harry strolled in innocently and sat on the chair opposite the Dark Lord.

"Well I have to look the part." He said. "Dinky created this masterpiece," indicating the rags covering his still glamoured frame, "because I am currently without wand."

The hint was painfully clear yet got ignored.

"You walked through the manor like that?" Voldemort asked, eyebrow raised, if he had one.

Harry looked down at himself. "Yeah..."

Voldemort cast several quick privacy spells many of which were veils preventing sight as well as sound.

"Remove your glamour." He ordered.

Harry complied.

The glamour that had become so normal for the pair flickered and fell.

Harry, the real one, sat in his chair in his rags.

"You have changed too much." Voldemort informed him.

Harry looked at himself again. Voldemort conjured a mirror for the teen to view himself better.

"You're right. I'm the opposite of what they'd be expecting after spending time as a Malfoy's prisoner."

"Death Eater's." The Dark Lord corrected. "As far as the order will be aware, you will only just be joining the Malfoys and that will be how you escape."

Harry nodded. "Do I need another glamour or is there some kind of potion that will make me look starved for a while? I can look healthy again in a couple of weeks and the Order will think it's their doing plus a growth spurt."

"True. I will get Severus to create such a potion, I believe there is a base in existence already but it will no doubt require additional changes to be of use here."

Harry frowned. "Not you?"

Another inexistent eyebrow rose. "Do you really not like Severus that much? I may be a genius but he is by far the better Potions Master." It seemed to take effort for Voldemort to admit that.

"Good thing there's a privacy veil up." Harry teased. "Wouldn't want the Death Eaters hearing that."

Voldemort threw a stinging hex at the teen who got the hint and left. After replacing his glamour and demanding his wand again.

_End Flashback._

.

Harry was sat on his allocated bed, the room empty because he had asked for time alone. Most surprisingly, no one had argued the point.

"Master Potter, Sir?" A quiet voice whispered into the still room.

Harry looked around in shock.

"Dinky?" He whispered.

A head appeared behind Ron's bed and Harry smiled.

"Dinky has beens sent to tells Master Potter hes is to reads these," she clicked her fingers and a notebook landed beside Harry on his bed, "and Master Potter is tos writes back the ways its bes sayings tos." She said.

Harry frowned at the message and reached for the notebook.

Dinky wrung her hands nervously. "Dinky bes bad and looks but Dinkys not understands squiggles, sir." She said staring at the floorboards. "Should Dinky punishes herself nows Master?" She asked unsure.

"No." Harry answered firmly. "Why did you look at them Dinky? It's not like you."

Dinky stared at the bed sheets now, trying not pull on her ears despite her hands repeatedly rising to them. "Dinky sees it opens on Master Dark Lord's desk, Master Potter sir. Dinky doesn't means to seeses Master Potter sir, but Dinky seeses. Should Dinky punishes herself?"

"No."

There was a sudden noise just outside and Harry turned to the door. When he turned back Dinky was gone. And so was the notebook.

The door opened.

"Harry?" It was Ron. "You ok mate? Thought I heard you talking to someone." He looked around the room finding only Harry and glanced questioningly at him.

"I was talking to myself." Harry told him. "I know, first sign of madness."

Ron shrugged and let it go. "Me and Gin were gonna play a game of chess, wanna join us?"

He picked up his chess set.

Harry laughed. "You know I'm no good."

Ron grinned at the memory of previous games.

"Still?"

"Maybe. I'll be down in a bit. Just don't expect me to play, alright, I don't fancy getting thrashed just yet."

Ron laughed and left the room.

Harry waited for the footsteps to fade completely.

"Dinky?" He asked cautiously.

An invisible hand touched his own.

While he watched, Dinky reappeared in front of him.

Harry's mouth formed an o. "I didn't know house elves could do that?" He said amazed.

Dinky simply smiled, handed Harry the notebook and diapparated, leaving Harry alone in the room again.

After a moment, Harry put the notebook in the bottom of his trunk and went to join Ron and Ginny.

.

_Flashback._

"You will need these."

Snape was standing in the door way of Harry's room while the teen studied Voldemort's book on Occulmency for the last time.

Harry looked up.

"What are they?"

"The Lady Malfoy wishes you to take these potions to tide you over until Hogwarts. Should you feel the pull of withdrawal from the stronger ones you were using before you are to take one."

Harry nodded and walked over to the table where Snape was placing four small phials.

"This one," he placed a fifth larger phial on the table, "is the glamour. It will fade gradually over the course of one month."

Harry nodded with a thoughtful breath.

"How should I hide them when I leave? I can't exactly take a bag."

Snape gave Harry his patented look of derision. "That is for you to consider." He said, leaving the room in a sweep of his cloak.

Harry picked up one of the small phials and tucked it into his pocket before examining himself in the mirror. Invisible.

Removing the phial and placing it back on the table for now, Harry returned to his studying.

_End Flashback._

.

"Ha! Checkmate."

Ron examined the board in detail and then leaned back with a huff.

"Well it took help from Hermione and Lupin but I finally beat him." Ginny said smugly.

"Hi Harry."

Hermione's words made everyone turn.

"Thought you were coming down earlier?" Ron said, pointedly ignoring the finished chess game beside him.

"I was-" He started.

"But we decided -"

"- to take him -"

"- on a tour -"

"- of the house -"

"- didn't we Sirius?" The twins chorused.

Sirius entered the room, ruffling Harry's hair playfully as he passed.

"I have some bad news." He said solemnly. "I have information your dear mother is on the way here with more chores for each of us." He turned to Harry. "I'm so sorry Pup but that includes you."

Harry looked between his friends and his godfather. "What?" He asked. "It can't be that bad? Can it?"

A lot of looks got passed around before anyone answered.

"It depends what the task is." Ginny told him.

"Kids?" Came the call from the hallway. "The curtains in the drawing room are infested with Doxy and I need your help to clear it. Come on, chop, chop." By the end of her sentence, Molly Weasley was standing in the doorway ushering the teenagers, and honorary teenager, out to the infested area. "And after we're done there's still the rest of the drawing room to clear out." She said.

Harry heard a Mexican wave of sighs and chuckled. He turned to Sirius. "Is it really that bad?"

"You'll see kiddo." Sirius answered. "We've got to clear all the dark stuff out. And there's a lot of it."

"Oh well, at least we -"

"- can get some Doxy venom -"

"- for our experiments." The twins whispered to Harry who smirked.

The twins caught it and grinned.

"Looks like our little Harrikins -"

"- has developed a darker side -"

"- while in the company of -"

"- the Malfoys."

"Welcome." They said in unison while linking arms either side of Harry and waltzing him into the waiting room.

Mrs Weasley raised an eyebrow at them but turned to her youngest instead. "Ginny dear, would you fetchMundungus, he promised to help."

Ginny rushed, slowly, to her task while the others began de-doxying the curtains.

.

"You know you can talk to me right Pup?" Sirius asked as they bagged the dark contents above the fireplace while the others took care of those in the glass cabinet.

Harry looked at him confused. "Of course."

Sirius stumbled verbally. "What really happened?" He said at last.

Harry stared at the suddenly very interesting woodwork of the mantelpiece, emotionally caught.

"It's ok." Sirius told him. "You don't have to tell me. I just want you to know you can."

Harry turned to him and smiled weakly. "I'm ok." He said.

"I know that. You seem better than when I last saw you. That's why I think there something more to what happened than what I've been told." He saw the look in Harry's eyes and continued. "But don't worry. I won't say anything. This is just between you and me. Besides, everyone else has seen you recently so they probably won't notice it as much."

Harry nodded. "Thanks. And maybe."

"When you're ready."

"Yeah."

They went back to their task.

.

_Flashback._

"Help! Help me!"

The Order members were flocking into the manor's large garden.

Beside Harry an albino peacock squawked and ran at his legs. Harry darted sideways and ran.

"Help!" He called again.

Death Eaters were chasing him but they were far behind. No point risking failure by actually getting captured.

"Harry!"

Finally someone spotted him.

Harry, checking the mad peacock was nowhere near him, collapsed to the ground as if worn out by his escape and recent experience - the lack of sleep the past two nights helping greatly.

"Harry!"

Multiple feet surrounded him and a pair of strong arms lifted him to his feet.

"Sorry lad, no time to rest."

"C'mon. Quickly."

They were moving, Harry practically carried between two tall bodies.

The second they were out of the gates, the group disapparated and Harry found himself falling heavily to the floor, barely being caught before the stone street reached his face.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"C'mon lad." The same voice from before said. "Only a little further now."

A small scrap of paper was thrust under his nose. "Read this and remember it." Came the gruff voice of Mad Eye Moody.

Harry read the single sentence:

_The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

He blinked and the paper disintegrated.

"What?"

A gentle hand lifted his head to see a building appearing between a long line of similar houses.

"Oh."

Harry slumped over leaving the Order members to carry his sleepy frame into their Headquarters.

.

Dumbledore stood to one side and watched as Harry was carried into the house. Hestia and Vance gently levitated him past the silent portrait of the former LadyBlack and towards a recently re-humanised room.

"No. Take him upstairs. The boy needs rest to recover." He ordered in a soft voice.

The two women obeyed, disappearing up the staircase with the sleeping form.

With an expansive sigh, Dumbledore turned and walked to the kitchen to tell the waiting Order members the news.

_End Flashback._

.

Harry, in a stormy mood, threw himself onto his bed at Grimmauld Place. In the back of his mind he felt a soothing presence that he assumed could only be Voldemort.

"So how'd it go?" Ron asked as he sat on the bed opposite.

Harry simply stared at the boy.

"That bad?" It was Ginny, standing against the door frame.

"Dad says the Minister tried to get Harry expelled." Bill answered from behind his sister in the doorway. "That even after the Headmaster proved the Dementors did attack Harry in Surrey, he pushed for illegal apparition charges."

"They tried to make me out to be a spoilt brat after the headlines." Harry grumbled. "That I did it on purpose. Why would I?"

"Harry," Hermione began comfortingly, wrapping her arms around her friend. "It's what they've been trying to do all summer. Fudge is scared. He thinks Dumbledore is trying to cause trouble so he can take over as Minister of Magic."

"Dumbledore would do that!"

"We know. But Fudge seems to think so. He's trying to make Dumbledore out to be stirring things, to paint him in a bad light, discredit him, and by extension, you too."

Harry grumbled something indecipherable.

"So... What happened at the hearing? You're here so does that mean Dumbledore got them to drop the charges?"

Harry gave Hermione a look, one he'd learnt from Voldemort. Hermione flinched and looked away.

"Yes." He said shortly.

It had been more obvious at the hearing, Dumbledore was up to something. For the first time, Harry had seen, or more noticed, the older wizard manipulating to get his way and it'd made him think. There was a burst of joyous emotion in the back of his mind that made Harry wince.

"You alright mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah." Harry lied. "Just-"

"The Ministry?"

"Yeah."

"Don't dwell on it Harry." Bill said. "There are more important things to think about than a foolish wizard's failed attempt to expel you."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I could have phrased that better I admit but it's true."

"He's right Harry. You-Know-Who is back and we have to prepare. Fudge is just the annoying distraction."

"Who's getting in the way."

Hermione laughed and launched herself on her friend again. This time Ginny came to sit beside them.

"You know, I'm surprised you haven't tried to break into a meeting yet." Bill told Harry. "These three have."

Ron laughed now. "Not had much success though."

"What meetings?"

The three Weasleys and Hermione looked at Harry puzzled.

Harry laughed. "I'm kidding. Come on. I heard there was roast chicken tonight."

He left the room laughing, followed soon after by his confused friends.

.

The last day of the holidays found Harry sat on the foot of his bed staring at the notebook from Voldemort. He hadn't had many chances to look at it and when he had they had been painfully short.

"Harry?"

Harry closed his eyes, exhaling. When he opened them again, Ron was at the door.

"There you are. Mum's been asking." He walked in and sat on the opposite bed, chucking an envelope towards Harry. "Booklists have arrived." He said, in case Harry hadn't got it. "About time too. I thought they'd forgotten us, they usually come much earlier than this ..."

Harry turned, picking up and opening the letter. "Two new books." He said skipping the standard letter and going to the second sheet.

The Twins took that moment to apparate in with dual cracks.

"Hey Harry, Ron. Seen the booklist? We were just wondering who set the Slinkhard book."

"Why?" Harry asked, chucking the letter and envelope over the open notebook.

"Haven't you heard? Apparently Dumbledore's been having trouble getting someone for the job this year."

"We overheard Mum and Dad talking on the extendable ears a few weeks back."

"Not surprising really, not after what happened last year."

"And the three before that."

"One sacked. One dead. One's memories removed. One locked in a trunk for nine months." Harry ticked them off on his fingers. "I see what you mean."

"Yeah. No surprise really." Fred turned to his younger brother. "What's up with you, Ron?"

Ron was sat on his bed, mouth agape and staring disbelievingly at his Hogwarts letter.

Fred walked up to his brother and looked at the letter. His mouth fell open too. "Perfect? _Perfect_?"

George burst over to his brothers and picked up the envelope, tipping the contents onto his hand. Sure enough a scarlet and gold badge fell out. "No way?"

A mass of confusion, denial and reasoning followed before Hermione joined the chaos.

"Did you -? Did you get -?" She saw the badge currently in Harry's hand and jumped to the wrong conclusion. "I knew it! Me too, Harry, me too!"

"No. Ron." Harry said passing the badge back to its rightful owner.

"Ron?" Hermione was knocked off balance for a moment before righting herself but not without going red. "That's - I mean - Well done! That's very -"

"Unexpected?"

"No, I, Ron's done loads of ... really he's ..."

Mrs Weasleys entered the room and it all started again.

Throughout it all Harry found himself begrudging Ron his success. It took him some time to recover and decide he was being foolish in blaming Ron himself but after he had he warmly congratulated the boy and things went back to normal between them.

They spent the day packing, finding their things all over the house. By the time Mrs Weasley arrived back they were just about done. Harry's notebook from Voldemort hidden at the bottom of his trunk beneath his school clothes, safe from others' eyes, and Ron's new badge hidden inside a maroon sock, locked in his trunk, safe from his brothers.

That night all Harry could think about was how Dumbledore didn't seem to trust him anymore. If he ever did. The same questions kept going through his mind. Why wouldn't the headmaster make him a prefect? Why Ron? Why was he ignoring him? Why didn't the headmaster speak to him after the hearing? Or even look at him?

Harry sighed, packed away his things and went to bed.

As he closed his eyes, in his mind he heard the words echo softly: "Because Dumbledore's an idiot."

.

AN: Sorry this took so long. I got everything up to the hearing written and then had writer's block on how to finish without parroting JK.


	5. To Hogwarts

A New Path

AN: Sorry this took so long, I'm having trouble writing anything at the moment.

And because I don't say it nearly enough, a big thank you to all my new, and old, fav and followers, and a big thank you to my reviewers too.

.

CHAPTER 5 - To Hogwarts

.

.

"Come on. Everyone, quick quick."

They rushed through the crowds, four Weasleys, Harry and Hermione; Mr and Mrs Weasley, Lupin, Tonks, Moody and a big black dog waiting on the platform.

Up ahead the scarlet steam engine whistled its warning as the final crowds of students climbed aboard.

"See you!" Harry called, Hermione, Ron and Ginny standing beside him waving through the window.

The train began to move and the figures on the platform began to shrink, but the big black dog bounded alongside the train causing the people he passed to laugh.

The train rounded the corner and it was all was gone.

"Well, can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later." And with that the Weasley twins were gone.

"Shall we go and find a compartment then?" Harry asked.

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.

"Er."

"We're - well - Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage." Hermione said awkwardly.

"Oh. Right. Fine."

"I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey. Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."

"Well, I might see you later then?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

Harry left with Ginny to find a carriage with seats. At the end of the train they found Neville outside a barely occupied compartment.

Harry sat in the compartment with Neville, Ginny and a blonde girl introduced as Luna Lovegood. It was sometime before Hermione and Ron re-joined him.

In the time before his friends arrived, Harry found himself studying the strange new girl, Luna, in between conversations with Neville and Ginny, and a disastrous meeting with Cho Chang. There was something about her that he couldn't explain.

Later, after boarding one of the coaches, Harry felt the need to know this strange new girl grow stronger but preferably without his current company of Hermione, Ginny and Ron. She seemed to sense his gaze so he turned to look at the invisible horses pulling the coaches instead, musing on why only he and Luna could see them.

Once the coaches had stopped, they walked up the stone steps and through the oak front doors towards the great hall, ready for the feast and sortings.

The sorting was quick and relatively unsurprising. The headmaster stood to greet the new and returning students with the usual messages and warnings. During his speech, a squat, mouse-brown haired witch dressed in fluffy pink stood up, barely taller than when she was sat, _hem-hem_ming to draw the hall's attention to herself. Dumbledore stopped, he and everyone else stunned into silence.

Harry remembered the pink witch, and new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, from his hearing. Dolores Umbridge. From what he heard in her dragging speech, she wasn't any nicer than his first impression had suggested. Harry, much like many other students, cringed as she spoke to the hall.

"Well that was very illuminating." Hermione said when Umbridge was done.

"You're not telling me you enjoyed it?" Ron asked incredulously. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and _I_ grew up with Percy."

"I said illuminating, not enjoyable. It explained a lot."

Ron look equal amounts disbelieving and surprised.

"It did Ron." Harry agreed. Hermione looked at him suspiciously so Harry continued. "It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts." He said. "Something about stopping stuff they don't like and halting progress and, um..."

Hermione looked surprised.

"Hey, I listened okay?" What he didn't add was that he'd had a lot of practice listening to hidden meanings over the summer from living with Voldemort.

.

It was almost a whole week into the school year before Harry finally found a chance to study the notebook from Voldemort. It surprised him to realise how much he missed the older wizard.

Later that night Harry knew he would be stuck with Umbirdge in detention again for daring to say the truth but for now he was alone.

The notebook lay open on the desk of a disused classroom. Harry, for the first uninterrupted time, looked at the pages. Suddenly the squiggles became familiar. Harry stared as they grew meanings in his mind.

What before had been mere lines he now realised were words. Like a child learning to read, Harry read the first few lines.

_This is the written language of the snakes. It is of my own design._

Harry blinked and re-read the two sentences before continuing.

_You will find enough here for you to attempt your own. This will be our safety measure when communicating. Write what you wish to say and I will see it. You are quite good at getting my attention with random thoughts so I will know when you have written a message for me. This will be how I contact you also, until I have discovered a better way._

Harry read the page four times before he believed his eyes.

Picking up a quill, Harry turned the page and began attempting to write parselscript. His first ten tries were pitiful and it took another seven before he could read it back to himself.

Harry was just about to try attempt eighteen when he suddenly found himself seeing another notebook in his head. Someone was writing something.

When the hand moved away, Harry grinned to himself.

_Took your time, didn't you. _It said.

Harry, turning to a clean page, wrote back. _I only just got a chance to look at it._ He argued playfully, then added. _Why this? Why not use Dinky?_

There was a pause before Harry saw the second book again.

_Because Dumbledore would know. House elves may be able to travel through the apparition wards but I believe the current headmaster is informed of any non-staff elves that appear. It was not worth the risk. _There was a pause and then Voldemort continued. _That and I wanted to test what we could do through our link._

Harry was about to reply when a noise startled him. He looked up to see Peeves float passed with a bucket.

_I may have to go._ He wrote. _I've just seen Peeves._

_Also, I believe you should have been on you way to Potions a few minutes ago._

Harry's mouth dropped. He could practically hear Voldemort's amusement as he hastily shoved everything into his bag and ran out the door and down to the dungeons.

He reached the potions hallway just as the last of the crowd of students entered the classroom.

He sat down near Ron and Hermione, both of whom gave him a look.

"Close call." Ron whispered. "Where'd you get too?"

Before Harry could answer, Snape began the lesson.

.

Detention that night was awful. More so than before. Voldemort, now he knew Harry could contact him, was paying far too much attention to what was happening in Harry's life and hence was well aware of what the lines he was currently writing were.

Harry winced for what felt like the hundredth time that night as Voldemort's anger reached him.

"Is there something wrong Mister Potter?" Umbridge asked sweetly, clearly thinking her detention was getting to him.

Harry felt the urge to stab her with the quill and absently wondered whether it was his thought or Voldemort's.

"No." He answered through gritted teeth.

"Carry on then."

.

"Harry, you have to tell someone." Hermione was saying to him again the following evening. Harry blanked her out.

An essay on the properties of summoning charms lay on the desk in front of him, thousands of scribbled note littering the edges. I'm going to have to rewrite it, Harry thought as another helpful hint arrived in his head.

On the edge of his soon to be scrap essay, Harry scribbled a note in parselscript. _Missing me?_

"Harry?"

Harry looked up.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Sorry Hermione, I zoned out. But no. I can't tell anyone. Just, just leave it, yeah?"

She didn't look happy but didn't push.

_Yes._

Harry blinked. What? He stared blankly at his essay for a moment.

_Don't make me say it again._

_You didn't say it the first time._

_You know what I mean._

Harry smiled earning an odd look from Hermione.

_Yep. You miss me. Ha! You can't live without me._

_Shut it._

"Harry? If you need help just ask." He looked up, refocusing on the real world. "I mean just look at this."

"Huh?"

"Your essay. You've scribbled all over it. Professor Flitwick won't take it. You'll get a fail. No start again and I'll help."

"I'm ok Hermione but thanks." He said, grabbing a fresh sheet. "This was only a draft, I've got to re-write it but that's all."

Hermione was about to say something, probably about Harry never writing a draft unless she told him to, when Ron entered the room.

"You're not studying again?" He said shocked. "You're turning into Hermione."

The real Hermione cleared her throat.

Ron turned red.

"Not that that's a bad thing just that, um..."

"And I suppose you've already done your homework?" Hermione asked the redhead. "At least Harry here's thinking of his grades."

"Actually Hermione, I'm thinking I've got Detention again tonight and I want to be able to get to bed at some point."

That shut the girl up.

Harry caught Ron's quick glance at the back of his hand and scowled. "I'll finish it later." He said, packing his belongings away.

"Harry," Hermione called but he didn't listen.

_You shouldn't alienate them. _Voldemort wrote. _At least not the girl. They may be useful._

Harry shook his head to clear the words from it.

_Just something to think about. You need allies remember, separate to Dumbledore, and to a degree, myself._

_Has Sirius replied to that letter yet? _Voldemort asked as a change of topic even though they both knew he knew the answer.

When he reached the dorm, Harry threw himself on his bed and unearthed the notebook.

_Not yet. Maybe later?_ He scribbled quickly.

_Perhaps. Give him time. It is not easy to reply to a topic such as that And keep a letter void of precious information. _Voldemort replied. _And Harry? Please make your writing neater. Minny speaks the truth when she says it's terrible to read._

Harry smiled.

_Perhaps he will contact you a different way. _The dark lord continued to muse. _If it were me, I would consider owl post the last option. _In Harry's head the hand paused. _Well, second to last. Last would be arranging an actually meeting face to face. In his position it would be a rather foolish and unnecessary risk._

_So don't expect a letter? _Harry reiterated.

_Check the fire when you return from detention. _Was Voldemort's only reply.

.

Later that night, when Harry returned from detention, he found Ron and Hermione waiting for him. Ron had his various uncompleted essays on a table and was busy scribbling while Hermione kept a watchful eye on the working boy despite her head being in a book.

"You stayed up?" Harry asked, not sure whether he was happy or annoyed about it.

"Of course."

It was well past midnight and all the other students had gone to bed.

Harry stared at the fire in thought and then blinked.

"What is it Harry?" Ron asked, he was watching his friend's face.

"I just saw Sirius in the fire." He said.

"What?" Hermione asked. "You mean like when he wanted to talk to you last year during the T- Sirius!"

The head of Sirius Black smiled up at the three teens from the dancing flames. "I was starting to think you'd go to bed before everyone else disappeared." He said. "I didn't think writing was a good idea so I've been checking every hour. Codes can be broken and this was the only other way I could come up with to answer Harry's letter."

"You've-"

"What if you'd been seen?" Hermione asked anxiously then stopped and turned to Harry. "You wrote to Sirius?" She asked accusingly.

Ron was staring at him too.

"It's alright Hermione. Well written, nothing for stray eyes to think twice about."

"That's not- well it's part of what I mean. You didn't say you had."

"Well, I, er, forgot about it." Harry said. Which was true up to a point. Up to the point where Voldemort had reminded him. Twice.

"Anyway, I think we should be quick. Don't want to be disturbed. So..."

"Actually guys, could I talk to Sirius alone for a bit?" Harry said carefully.

"Oh." Hermione said, taken aback. "Sure. Okay. Um, bye Sirius."

The face in the fire smiled up at her. "We'll talk another time, Hermione." He told her. "Bye Ron." He added to the boy.

Harry and Sirius waited in silence as the two teens left for their dorms.

When their footsteps had faded and two doors had been closed, Sirius turned to Harry. "So what was so special that you'd risk upsetting those two to talk to me about?" He asked seriously.

Harry hesitated, it was still too risky to talk outright. "What we talked about in the summer." He said slowly. "Do you still mean it?"

Sirius frowned. "Of course I do."

"There's things I want to run passed you but you may not like a lot of it."

_You're going to tell him, aren't you?_

"What kind of things?" Sirius asked.

Harry glanced around the room. "Not now." He said. "It's, um, I have to be careful."

Sirius nodded. "I understand. But we can't talk through owl post so unless you're trying to torture me can I have a hint or something."

Harry paused.

_Tell him we have a plan that could involve him. Tell him, tell him that his brother was proud of him even if his parents weren't and that he died doing what Dumbledore would have wanted._

Harry faltered.

"Harry? What is it?"

"Um, I'm to say, um, we have a plan that could involve you."

_And his brother..._

"A-and that your brother was proud of you even if you're parents aren't and that he died doing what Dumbledore would have wanted."

Sirius frowned. "What?"

"Not my words." Harry said quickly.

"Then whose?"

"I can't tell you." Harry said quietly.

Sirius looked around the room. "Right."

"Sirius,"

"No, it's ok." He looked at Harry, saw his sad eyes. "It's ok pup. I understand. Doesn't mean I like it but I understand."

"Can I ask about the plan?" He said. Harry looked up, his eyes glazed over for a second. He shook his head. "Are you talking to someone?" Sirius asked before his eyes widened in realisation. "Him?!"

Harry bit his lip.

_It's ok. Admit it. But tell him about the summer, that you were safe._

Harry nodded. "That's where I was over the summer." He said.

"Prisoner?"

"No."

"I need a minute to take it in." Sirius stared unseeing for a moment. He looked Harry in the eye. "Was there anything else?"

Harry shook his head. "Not that needs to be said today."

Sirius swallowed, taking a deep breath before he spoke. "We'll talk about this at a better time." He said slowly and clearly. "I trust you enough to know there must be a reason so your secret is safe with me but I can't do this now. Not yet."

Harry nodded. "Take the time you need." He told the older wizard shakily.

Sirius offered him a smile. "Tell me. Has he hurt you?"

"No."

"And you're not just saying that because he's listening?"

"He hasn't hurt me." Harry repeated and then, after a thought. "Dumbledore's hurt me more."

Sirius nodded. "I'll, uh, write to you when I, um, can talk."

"Bye Sirius." Harry said as a small pop indicated Sirius's departure.

.

_You are getting Detention far too many times._ Harry saw written in his head as he left Great Hall for Charms after another talking to from McGonagall. _Minny was right. Try to keep your head down._

Minny? Harry thought again.

_I knew her when we were both younger alright. And before you find parchment to ask, yes, sometimes, I can hear your thoughts. You seem to send some to me. It can get quite annoying at times so you better practice those mind exercises I showed you. I KNOW you have skipped a few. You cannot see mine because I, unlike you, have control over my mind._

Harry smirked and bit down the retort about sanity since he had nowhere to write it.

"Harry."

He turned around to see Cho walk up him with a wavering smile of her own.

_Oh not her. You can do so much better than that watery girl._

Harry pushed the moody dark lord out of his head, receiving a stinging scar for his efforts.

"Hi."

_Really Harry, that incident on the train with the plant and the toad should be viewed as an omen for the pair of you. Stop wasting your time._

Harry ignored the dark lord and continued talking despite not knowing what to say. "Um, nice weather." He said at last before internally cringing, not again.

Cho smiled. "Another good day for Quidditch, managed to get out yet?" She said, Ravenclaw seeker that she was.

Harry was trying to answer when one of her friends walked up and tapped her shoulder.

"Well, um, I'll see you. Bye."

"Bye." Harry called after her.

_Pathetic Potter._

Harry did his best to give Voldemort a headache as a reply. The result was a sharp twinge in his scar and an amused dark lord.

_Nice try. Not likely to work._

Harry frowned.

_Admit it. I'm better than you._

.

Charms passed quickly but it was Transfiguration that proved the highlight thanks to McGonagall's no-nonsense attitude, Umbridge's new role of Hogwart's High Inquisitor and a nosey dark lord who apparently had nothing better to do than pester his fifteen year old apprentice-maybe-heir.

_And I thought Divination was bad._ Harry read in his mind.

_Please. I'm trying to listen. This is McGonagall after all._ He felt laughter coming from the older wizard.

_And that is why I now truly believe this Umbridge woman is a branch of stupid not even Crabbe and Goyle can top._

Harry had to bite his lip not to laugh.

Beside him, Hermione frowned and tapped Harry's parchment where, to her, he'd been doodling. Ron looked at them both and shook his head.

_I think the Muggleborn disapproves._

Harry choked on a laugh that earned him a scathing glance from both Umbridge and McGonagall as well as Hermione and a few other students.

The rest of the class passed relatively like normal with Umbridge staying in one corner taking notes.

The following class, Care of Magical Creatures, featured the toad-like witch too. When they arrived, she was interrogating the stand-in CoMC teacher, Professor Grubbly-Plank, and Harry found himself worrying more than ever on the prolonged disappearance of Hagrid.

_He's fine. You know where he went, my death eaters saw him. The only reason he's not back yet is because he's found some new and probably highly dangerous creature to adore. He's probably just having trouble bringing it home. The border wizards can be very strict on these things._

Harry relaxed a little. Yes that did seem likely.

His conversation with Voldemort meant he missed most of what was said but it was clear from the expressions on various faces - Umbridge, Hermione, Ron and Draco in particular - that the Hippogriff incident had been raised.

Hermione touched Harry's arm gently. "Thank you." She said quietly.

Harry looked at her, confused. "For what?"

"For not getting angry and saying something you'd only regret."

Harry looked away. She was right. Had he been paying attention he knew he would have said something and likely got further detentions for it.

_See, I am useful. Not that I had a doubt._

.

It was that night, at around midnight, after Harry returned, hand bleeding heavily, from detention with Umbridge that Hermone brought it up. It started with another failed attempt to get Harry to go to tell someone about the detentions with Umbridge, falling into the failings of the witch herself.

"Well," Hermione began tentatively. "You know, I was thinking today... I was thinking that - maybe the time's come when we should just - just do it ourselves." She said.

"Do what ourselves?" Ron asked because Harry was busy soaking his hand in the small bowl of yellow liquid Hermione had offered while scratching behind Crookshank's ear with his left. The feeling of relief that the essence of Murtlap tentacles gave him was indescribable.

"Well - learn Defence Against the Dark Arts ourselves." Hermione answered.

Ron groaned. But what he and Hermione said next were lost on Harry because a certain dark lord had decided to make his own opinion known.

_It would be a good idea. You can build the alliances and supporters you so sorely lack through a common ground. Hatred of that foul creature that calls itself a witch._

_Try to steer the conversation towards yourself. Should the young witch intend this to be a group occurrence they will require someone to teach and if it is you you will have more room to manoeuvre._

Harry shook the writing from his head.

"Harry? What do you think?"

Harry blinked a few times to settle back into reality.

"Um, sorry, about what? I, uh, zoned out again." He smiled. "This stuff is really good, thanks Hermione."

The girl smiled but then seemed weary.

"Hermione thinks we need a teacher." Ron said. "She wants someone to teach us."

Harry forced a frown despite the background celebratory emotions coming from Voldemort. "Who? You mean like Lupin?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. He's too busy with the order and we wouldn't be able to see him often enough. At best we could meet him on Hogsmeade weekends but that's probably it. No, isn't it obvious?" She finished with a sigh. "I'm talking about _you,_ Harry."

_Say yes. No! Wait! Don't say yes. Not yet. Don't seem too keen. She'll get suspicious._

Through the mental writing Harry stared at the girl. "Me?"

"Yes. You teaching us Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Your mad."

_Too much._

"Harry." Hermione tried.

"It's a good idea." Ron agreed.

"What is?" Harry asked dumbly.

"You, teaching us." Ron explained. "You're the best in the year at Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Me? No, Hermione's beaten me in every test."

"Actually I haven't, you-"

Harry cut her off. "Are you both serious?"

"Yes." Said Hermione. "We're not talking about exam results, just think about _what_ you've done."

"What'd you mean?"

A list of his achievements followed, pitted with comments from Voldemort regarding such topics as how annoying Harry was for ruining his plans of the time with begrudged compliments for managing to do so against the odds. It culminated in Harry getting angry and unintentionally smashing the bowl of Murtlap essence while explaining how it was all luck and not skill, which only annoyed him more.

"We weren't having a go, mate," Ron said, "we didn't - you've got the wrong end of the -"

"Look Harry," Hermione said timidly, "don't you see? This... this is exactly why we need you... we need to know what it's r-really like ... facing him ... facing V-Voldemort."

_Good to know she's scared of me. And you by the sound of it._

Shut it, Harry thought viciously.

Hermione's words reached Harry and calmed him. It was more the fact that she had said Voldemort's name, for the first time, than anything else.

He sat down, still breathing hard.

"Well think about it." Hermione said quietly. "Please?"

Harry couldn't think of anything to say. He was ashamed at himself for his outburst.

"Well, erm... night." Hermione left the common room for the dorms.

Ron got to his feet too. "Coming?"

Harry looked up at the redhead. "Yeah. In ... in a minute. I'll just clear this up." Indicating the smashed bowl on the floor.

Ron nodded and left.

Harry muttered _Reparo_ at the shards which flew back together reforming the bowl as good as new. He put it on the table.

It was oddly quiet with no one else in the common room. Tiredness filling his mind and body, Harry traipsed up the stairs after Ron and went to bed.

.

Voldemort was strangely absent from Harry's mind the following morning. Over the last few days, Harry had gotten used to being woken with a message from the man so when he woke up on his own it felt strange.

Breakfast happened in a rush of food and owls and as soon as he was done Harry rushed back up to the dorm and grabbed the notebook from its secret place in his trunk.

_Voldemort?_ He wrote carefully.

The reply wasn't instant, in fact it took several minutes for the second notebook to appear.

_What do you want?_

Harry could tell he'd done something to upset the dark lord but couldn't think what it could be.

A memory of the night before drifted to the forefront of his mind unprompted.

_Sorry?_ The question mark appearing of its own accord.

_No you're not._

_To be fair you weren't helping my mood much._

There was only a blank page for some time.

_Perhaps it served a purpose. _Voldemort wrote eventually. Harry had been about to pack up and leave for class._ You proved you can return thoughts to me the way I can to you._

_So maybe in the future we won't need the notebooks?_ Harry asked.

_With practice, perhaps._

"Harry?" Ron called. Harry looked up. "Gonna be late for class, mate." The teen said.

Harry nodded and went to pack his things away. Ron left, Harry could hear him trot down the stairs.

_I'm sorry._ He wrote into the notebook sincerely. _You know I didn't mean it. Not really. Speak to you later? _ He finished hopefully.

He packed the book back into his trunk and headed to the door.

Just as he was leaving through the portrait, Voldemort wrote back.

_Sure, speak later._

Harry smiled.


	6. Dumbledore's Army

A New Path

AN: If anyone is interested, I've posted a one-shot outtake from this chapter called **A Game of Chess**. It got a bit silly so I took it out and extended it so I could post it solo.

Also, does anyone fancy making a cover image for this? With the newest site changes I think it could do with one but don't really trust myself to come up with anything good.

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CHAPTER 6 - Dumbledore's Army

.

.

Hermione didn't raise the topic of Harry teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts for a whole two weeks after her original suggestion, unfortunately for Harry, Voldemort did. At least twice each day.

It was while Harry, Ron and Hermione were sat in the library, looking up potions ingredients for Snape, that she spoke.

"I was wondering whether you'd thought any more about Defence Against the Dark Arts, Harry."

Harry heard Voldemort's sigh of _finally_ and smiled to himself. The man hadn't liked Harry's idea of waiting for Hermione to raise the topic again. The fact that, as Harry reminded him, it was his own idea to seem uninterested only served to rile the older wizard further.

"Course I have, can't forget it, can we, with that hag teaching us -"

Harry heard the mental growl at the same time Hermione spoke.

"No, I meant the idea Ron and I had - oh, alright, the idea I had, then - about you teaching us."

Harry pretended to be interested in the book he was thumbing through. "Well, yeah, I had thought about it." _"Because you wouldn't let me think about much else."_

_"Don't blame me for thinking about your future. Someone has to."_

Hermione looked at Harry hopefully. "And?"

"And it would be just you and Ron, right?"

_"What are you doing?!"_

_"Quiet. Listen and you will see."_

"Well," Hermione looked anxious again, "well ... now, don't fly off the handle again, Harry, please ... but I really think you ought to teach anyone who wants to learn. I mean, we're talking about defending ourselves against V-Voldemort. -"

_"That never gets old."_

_"Shush."_

"-pathetic, Ron. It doesn't seem fair if we don't offer the chance to other people."

Harry pretended to consider for a moment. "Yeah, but I doubt anyone except you two would want to be taught by me. I'm a nutter, remember?"

"Well, I think you might be surprised how many people would be interested in hearing what you've got to say. Look -" she leaned in close to Harry, Ron, frowning, followed suit, "you know the first weekend in October's a Hogsmeade weekend? How would it be if we tell anyone who's interested to meet us in the village and we can talk it over?"

"Yeah, alright."

Hermione smiled and picked up another book.

As Harry went back to his book he heard another growl, but this one was tinted with a hint of pride.

.

Harry still hadn't heard from Sirius by the time the weekend to Hogsmeade came around. He was worried. Would Sirius turn up like he'd teased he would in the summer? Would he not? Harry didn't know which worried him more.

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit dawned bright and windy. After breakfast, the trio queued up in front of Filch, who matched their names on a long list of the students with permission to go.

They set off at a brisk path, passed between the stone pillars with winged boars, and on to the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Harry asked as they walked through the village. "The Three Broomsticks?"

"Oh - no, no, it's always packed and really noisy. I've told the others to meet us in the Hog's Head, that other pub, you know the one, it's not on the main road. I think it's a bit ... you know ... _dodgy_ ... but students don't normally go in there, so I don't think we'll be overheard."

Harry frowned as he heard Voldemort laughing.

_"What is it?"_

_"This girl is hilarious. She's just mentioned all the reasons Not to go the Hog's Head as reasons To go to it."_

Harry's frown deepened.

_"Should I say something. I mean if it's-"_

_"No. What's done is done. Just don't raise suspicions any more."_

_"And there was me thinking tricking Hermione into making the suggestions would keep the suspicion off."_

_"It would have. You just didn't keep your nose in as far as you should have. Practice makes perfect, it was a good first try."_

The three teens walked up to the door of the pub, a battered wooden sign, depicting a wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto the white cloth around it, hung above.

"Well, come on." Hermione said slightly nervously. Harry led the way inside.

It was as far removed from the Three Broomsticks as it could be with its single small, dingy and very dirty room and its largely shrouded customers.

After buying three butterbeers, they retreated to the table furthest away from the bar.

"Are you sure about this Hermione?" Harry asked despite what Voldemort said.

"I've double- and triple-checked the school rules. We're not out of bounds; I specifically asked Professor Flitwick-" She stopped talking as the door to the pub opened, admitting the first wave of students.

First to enter was Neville with Dean and Lavender. They were closely followed by the Patil sisters with Cho and one of her friends. Voldemort gave Harry a sharp jolt to his scar as he saw the young witch. Next was Luna, on her own and looking so dreamy she might have walked in by accident.

Harry smiled.

_I approve. You can court her._

Harry covered his choke with a cough and a swig of his drink.

Next to enter were Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbot, a Hufflepuff girl Harry didn't know the name of; three Ravenclaw boys he was sure were called Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner and Terry Boot, Ginny and then a tall, blond Hufflepuff boy. The wave of students closed with Fred and George Weasley and their friend Lee Jordan, all ladden with bags of Zonko merchandise.

"Just a few, hey Hermione." Harry said to the girl under his breath.

Hermione smiled happily. "Yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular."

The meeting passed in a flurry of thoughts and questions, occasionally getting off course only to be steered back again. Just before everyone left, Hermione had Harry's new students sign a sheet of parchment.

_"Seems I'm popular."_

Harry laughed at Voldemort. The man had enjoyed listening to so many people talking about him fearfully.

_"Not sure that counts as popularity." _Harry argued back.

_"Nonsense. Of course it does."_ It was said with humour.

.

Thanks to the newest educational decree from the ministry, Harry woke up Monday morning happy only to fall into a foul mood upon reading the notice. He understood exactly what it meant. The decree against clubs would mean a lot more problems for Harry, not least for Quidditch which he knew Umbridge would enjoy holding over his head.

Without anything he could do, Harry got on with his day. It was while he was in History of Magic that he finally received a reply from Sirius. Hedwig arrived battered and in pain carrying a short letter. He'd excused himself from class and immediately carried her to the CoMC professor.

"'Today, same time, same place.' Does he mean the fire in the common room?" Ron asked as Harry shared the note with his friends after returning from the staff room.

"Obviously. I just hope nobody else has read this ..." Hermione said uneasily before her first thought returned to her. "Is Hedwig ok?"

Harry nodded. "I think so. I took her to Grubbly-Plank. And I met McGonagall ... I think she thinks someone tried to intercept Hedwig too."

.

Later that night, while Harry was trying to concentrate on his potions essay and after the Weasley twins and their fans had dispersed, Sirius appeared in the fire.

"Sirius!" Ron called grabbing Harry and Hermione's attention to the fire.

"Hi." He said grinning, something Harry was relieved to see.

"Hi." The trio said, kneeling down by the hearth. Crookshanks joining in.

Talk of the planned Defence Against the Darks Arts group, arguments against it from Mrs Weasley and suggestions from Sirius on potential locations ensued.

It all ended suddenly with a stubby, short-fingered hand covered in ugly old-fashioned rings reaching out in the fire to grab at the already fled Sirius. The three teens ran for it up to their dorms.

.

It was the first meeting of the student DADA. Dobby had been the one to suggest the location and, much to Voldemort's annoyance, they were meeting up in the Room of Requirement.

_"What's wrong? It's a good choice. You said so yourself, even if you were grumbling."_

Voldemort bristled. _"It is. I just don't like sharing secrets with others without receiving something of equal worth in return. And neither should you."_

_"What are you on about? What secret?"_ Harry asked confused.

Voldemort growled. _"The Room of Requirements. Thanks to you there are now twenty-seven more people who know about it."_

_"You are too possessive and paranoid sometimes."_

"Harry? You're staring into space again mate."

_"It's not paranoia."_

Harry smiled. "Sorry, Ron. Daydreaming I guess." He turned to look at Hermione who was still sat on a cushion reading _Jinxes for the Jinxed._

By the time eight o'clock came around everyone had arrived at the RoR. Within moments Hermione had passed a vote for both the name and leader of the group.

After she had written the voted name 'Dumbledore's Army' onto the list of names she sat once again and Harry, the voted leader, began the first lesson, The _Expelliarmus_ charm.

"Oh, _please_. I don't think _Expelliarmus _is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?" Zacharias Smith said crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

_"I could kill that one for you."_

"I've used it against him." Harry said quietly, ignoring Voldemort. "It saved my life in June."

_"Did you have to tell them that? It'll ruin my image them knowing that."_

_"Shush. I'm teaching."_

When it was clear there were no more objections Harry got the students to pair up and practice using the charm on one another. For the first few moments, Harry teamed up with Neville. After the boy had successfully disarmed Harry once, Harry sent him to join Ron and Hermione.

The rest of the hour passed quickly with Harry wandering around between the pairs correcting those where it was needed. On Voldemort's orders, he asked the twins to meet him in a few days for a secret meeting. They agreed but were clearly confused when Harry emphasised that secret meant just the three of them.

"Well, that was pretty good, but we've overrun, we'd better leave it here. Same time, same place next week?" Harry called after the last wand had clattered to the floor.

There were calls of sooner,countered by Angelina's reminder of the need for Quidditch practices. It was decided the next meeting would be Wednesday.

They left in groups of threes and fours and eventually Harry found himself entering Gryffindor tower.

"That was really, really good, Harry." Hermione said and Harry found himself smiling.

"Yeah, it was." Ron agreed.

.

"What did you want to meet us for Harry?" Fred asked on Tuesday evening.

"Yeah, normally you're happy to talk in front of Hermione and Ron."

Harry glanced around and raised a privacy veil like the one Voldemort constantly used around him around himself and the twins. He was nervous but Voldemort had persuaded him to try and if it worked then he could try another person in a week or two.

"I've, um- what do you know about death eaters, the dark and, uh, stuff?" He asked.

_"Slow it down a little. Too much and you might lose your chance."_

The twins frowned. "Harry?" They asked.

_"Well, here goes."_ Harry told Voldemort.

"I wasn't, last summer, wasn't being held prisoner anywhere."

To Harry's surprise, the twins grinned.

"We know."

"Or more, we guessed."

"So?"

"Details."

"Where were you and -"

"- what were you doing?"

Harry couldn't help it, a laugh escaped him but before he could speak the twins began again in unison. "And you have our word as the Prank Kings of Hogwarts that we will not share anything you tell us with any other beings, human or troll."

Harry laughed. In his head, so did Voldemort.

_"I want them. Make them be death eaters, Harry. I beg you."_

Harry laughed some more.

Once he had calmed himself, Harry began to tell the twins about his summer, finally glad to be able to talk about it to _someone_ other than the dark lord.

.

_"I told you not to get involved."_

_"Shut up."_

_"I did say but would you listen?"_

_"I said shut up."_

_"And now look, no more Quidditch. And you do love your Quidditch._

_"I thought I told you to shut up."_

_"Well at least now you might focus on your studies more."_

_"You're not helping."_

_"You've been falling behind what is expected of you."_

_"No I haven't and you know it."_

_"Maybe I should be more clear. What _I _expect of you."_

_"Now _that_ I can believe. But more to the point. Shut up."_

Harry was sat in the Gryffindor common room sulking about his apparently permanent removal from Quidditch by the b- Umbridge. A lifetime ban she called it. He scowled.

_"Stop scowling. Right now."_

Harry ignored the man.

_"Oh for merlin's sake stop sulking. If it will cheer you up I'll go force my death eaters to do something stupid. Like, I don't know, dress up in drag and perform the can can."_

Despite himself Harry choked on a laugh. Ron gave him an odd look.

_"There, not so hard was it. Continue like that."_

"Well," Hermione said slowly. If she had been talking before Harry hadn't noticed. "I can think of one thing that might cheer you both up"

"Oh yeah?" Harry asked sceptically. First Voldemort now Hermione, who next?

"Yeah. Hagrid's back."

.

Apprehensively, Hermione, Ron and Harry made their way to their first lesson with Hagrid since his return. Their talk with Hagrid, the night he'd arrived, hadn't gone too well. Despite Umbridge's interruption and Hermione's subsequent pleas for Hagrid to be wary of the witch, Hagrid didn't seem the slightest bit worried. All they knew was he had something in the Forbidden Forest and his cuts and bruises seemed to be constantly fresh.

His appearance as they arrived at the edge of the forest was not reassuring in the least and as if to complete the image he had what appeared to be half a dead cow over his shoulder

_"I told you, dangerous new pet." _Voldemort said to Harry's agreement. _"Have to admit, I'm curious to what it could be that it leaves him like that."_

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily, jerking his head towards the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark."

"What prefers the dark?" Harry heard Draco say with a hint of panic to Goyle and Crabbe. "What did he say prefers the dark - did you hear?"

Harry remember the last time Draco had entered the forest, he had not been brave then either, and smirked at the boy's discomfort.

_"You were getting on alright with him during the summer."_ Voldemort pointed out, earning the mental equivalent to a glare from Harry.

_"That was one day! Not even the whole of one day! And that was before the Quidditch match." _Harry growled. _"Don't you have better things to do than watch me all day every day?"_

_"No."_

Harry snorted in disbelief but said no more.

It was only a short while after Hagrid introduced the class to the threstrals that Umbridge turned up. By the end of the lesson it was obvious that Hermione was fuming. Harry was too but was easily distracted by the fact that so was Voldemort. In fact, Harry'd had to suppress several winces as his scar burned fiercely.

_"You like Hagrid?"_ Harry asked of Voldemort after the lesson was done and he could retreat to the Gryffindor tower.

_"I do not."_ Was Voldemort's haughty reply.

_"Then what was that about? You were much more reserved in potions and transfiguration."_

Voldemort didn't answer straight away.

_"Ok, maybe I do like him. But at the same time I don't. He's Hagrid."_

Harry laughed. _"Because that's not confusing."_

.

The Christmas holidays came and Harry found himself spending it at Grimmauld Place instead of the burrow as previously planned.

It seemed that Voldemort had been up to something after all and a few days before the close of term it had resulted in Mr Weasley getting injured. Fortunately it wasn't serious, the biggest problem had been that the wounds he received wouldn't heal. Voldemort explained that this was because Nagini had used her venom when she attacked the wizard.

Harry had refused to speak to the man no matter how much he pleaded and in the end they spent several days in mental silence.

"How's Mr Weasley doing?" Harry asked as Sirius entered the room where he was sitting alone.

"He'll be okay. The healers are positive they can create a potion to counteract the poison." Sirius sat down beside Harry. "The word is that you saw it happen. From the snake's point of view." He started. Harry looked up at the man. "Is it true?"

Harry shook his head. "No." He looked around as if suddenly realising something, wishing he could cast a privacy charm. He lowered his voice. "_He_ told me. He says he wasn't intentional. That Mr Weasley just got in Nagini's way."

Sirius nodded. "Nagini's his familiar's name, right?"

Harry hummed agreement.

Sirius slouched down closer. "Look, about what we talked about." He paused, took a breath. "I'll side with you, you know that. I failed you once and I won't do it again but it's, well, with _him_,"

"I understand." Harry answered looking down to the floor.

Sirius picked his chin and raised his face to his own. "So, what's this plan the two of you've got?"

Harry chuckled breathily. "It's not my plan. Not really. He hasn't said all that much about it."

"But..."

"But it's to do with finding out what Dumbledore knows or thinks he knows."

Sirius nodded. "Right. Gotcha. I can see how that would be important."

Harry smiled at the older wizard. "You don't have to pretend." He told him. "It's a big adjustment. I know. I've been through it."

.

On the very last day of holidays, during a wizard chess match between Harry and Ron, Harry had a surprise visitor. Mrs Weasley had called him down to the kitchen, citing that Snape wanted a word.

Shocked, Harry made him way downstairs. He entered the room to find Snape and Sirius sat at the kitchen table, a letter lay open between them.

"Er," Harry said, to announce his presence.

"Sit down, Potter." Snape ordered.

That didn't go down well with Sirius and several snide remarks were bounced back and forth between the two men as a result.

"The Headmaster has sent me to tell you, Potter, that it is his wish that you study Occulmency this term." Snape said once he had successfully won this particular verbal battle.

Harry had to force himself to remember to act like he had when Voldemort had first raised the topic. He also tried to remind himself that, though both Sirius and Snape were on his side, neither knew about the other.

"Study what? Why do I have to study Occul-thing?"

Snape sneered before answering, but only the second question. "Because the Headmaster thinks it is a good idea. You will receive private lessons once a week, but you will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Dolores Umbridge. I will expect you at six o'clock on Monday evening, Potter. My office. If anybody asks, you are taking remedial Potions."

Snape stood and turned to leave. Sirius was about to interrupt with a question but Harry cut him off with a shake of his head.

After Snape had gone, Harry turned to Sirius. "It's okay." He said so quiet it was barely audible. "It's part of the plan."

"His?" Sirius asked curiously.

It was at that point that several Weasleys entered the kitchen so Harry simply nodded.

.

School had started again and Harry found himself following Ron around while begging the boy to share the supposed knowledge he'd gleaned while visiting his father in hospital.

"Come on Ron, I know you know something. Tell me. I'm your best friend."

Ron stared at Harry's pleading expression. "Ok. I'll tell you what I heard," Harry beamed, "if you can beat me at a game of chess." His face fell.

Harry thought for a moment then nodded. "Alright." He said.

"Deal?"

"Deal."

They shook on it.

Ron went to get his chess set.

.

"So what do you know?" Harry asked the following morning.

"You cheated."

"Come on Ron, the whole of Gryffindor was watching. They would have said if they saw me cheat."

"Yeah, okay, but since when were you so good at chess?"

Harry shrugged. "Guess I got lucky."

"Yeah yeah."

Hermione decided to enter the conversation at that point. "Ron, you made a bet. Yes, Harry got lucky but he still won, so pay up or risk falling on the wrong side of public opinion."

"What?"

"Someone who goes back on their word."

Ron's ears reddened slightly.

It turned out, much to Voldemort's amusement, Ron didn't actually know all that much. It almost all revolved around what the order members individually, rather than Dumbledore, thought Voldemort was planning for Harry and, of course, Harry knew better than all of them on that count.

.

The news of the multiple death eater breakout from Azkaban spread through the school like wildfire. Everyone had something to say and this time it wasn't only Harry who stood on the receiving end of the gossip.

"I don't know how you bare it." Susan Bones was saying to him during their Herbology class. As a relative of not one but three of the death eaters' victims she was having a hard time. Not for the first time that week, Harry was glad of the warning the dark lord had seen to give him. The man hadn't been warning him of the breakout so much as informing him that his soon to be tutor, Rodolophus Lestrange, was finally free, but it was the thought which counted.

Harry held back his reply to Susan knowing that the girl just wanted to talk.

It wasn't long later that he found an urgent reason to question the dark lord. Unfortunately, since his Occulmency studies had started with Snape, the man didn't seem to be as present as he had the term before. When Harry had questioned it, Snape suggested that perhaps the dark lord wished for Harry to practice without any additional hindrance that his constant watching may produce. It was a good reason but that didn't mean Harry liked it.

_"What? Can't you tell I'm busy?"_ Was the reply Harry got after several long hours of mental prodding.

_"It's important."_

_"Well be quick. I have the rescued death eaters here and I have to deal with them before they go out and do something stupid."_

_"Wouldn't blame them, what is it? Thirteen, fourteen years in Azkaban?"_

_"Exactly. So? What do you want?"_

Harry shuffled for a second, reorganising his thoughts. _"You told me to get allies."_

_"And?"_

_"Well, they, I think there may be something you might not like about to happen. To counter what the ministry are saying. Hermione's-"_

_"Look. Is it certain?"_

_"N-no, I don't-"_

_"Do you even know what the girl has planned?"_

_"No."_

_"Then think for yourself, Harry. Don't forget you have to act for Dumbledore's sake like a helpless little Gryffindor golden boy. If there will be damage, talk to Snape and limit it, but _don't_ break your cover. Understood?"_

_"Understood. B-"_

_"I have to go. I'll talk to you again soon."_

And then Harry was alone in his head again. He went back to pretending to not care about the gossip.

.

February seemed to come quickly. It found Harry sat in a booth of the Three Broomsticks opposite Rita Skeeter.

"Hermione? What is this about?" He asked one of the other two people present, the second being Luna. Harry kept his newly learnt mask up in case the ex-_Prophet_-journalist got any ideas.

"Oh, so she hasn't told you either?" Rita didn't look good. It appeared she hadn't had a very good time of it recently, however, from the look in her eyes, as she looked Harry over, her hunger for headlines was still going strong.

It transpired that Hermione wanted Harry to tell Rita everything that happened in the graveyard and for Rita to write a, truthful, article that would then be published in Luna's father's paper, _The Quibbler_.

Harry had to hold in his nervousness at the prospect. It wasn't his happiest moment and, that aside, he knew Voldemort wanted his reappearance to remain secret.

_"Well, I've already told the world. Either they believe me or they don't. One article can't make that much difference, unless there's something Hermione's not told me." _Harry said in his mind. Not that he expected an answer from Voldemort but he did want to tease the wizard in response to the prolonged silence. _"No, anything else would be out of character." _

"Ok. When do we do this?"

Hermione smiled serenely, Luna stared dreamily at Harry and Rita pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill with a half-hearted smile.

The subsequent release of the article days later caused a huge stir among the student and teachers at Hogwarts, and, by the sounds of it, the outer world too, but Voldemort remained oddly quiet.

.

It was one day in April that Harry changed the numbers of his fake Galleon to the date and time of what would turn out to be the last meeting of the DA. Hermione had developed a way of communicating the time and date of the next meeting using the Protean charm on fake Galleons. A method that was inspired by the dark mark, something which, at the time, Voldemort was equally flattered and annoyed by.

The lesson itself went fine, everyone improving greatly. Harry had now collected many allies among the group but not all. There were some students that he couldn't bring himself to trust with his secrets and one or two he felt he couldn't trust at all, but it had been only the Weasley twins so far he had entrusted with his biggest secrets.

It soon became clear that his wariness of one particular person was justified when, near the end of the lesson, Dobby appeared with a warning. Umbridge had discovered them.

The students fled instantly, fleeing down the corridors.

Harry had only just made it out of the door when he was tripped up by a jinx from Malfoy who, with a far too pleased grin, called Umbridge.

Immediately, Harry found himself in Dumbledore's office facing the Minister of Magic.

_"The fool."_

Harry hid the smirk that played at his lips, Voldemort was back.

Fudge and Umbridge were talking over Harry about the DA. As if to prove Harry's guilt, Umbridge summoned her informant. Cho's friend, Marietta.

Thanks to the jinx Hermione had put on the list of names, Marietta's face was covered in pustules which appeared to spell the word 'sneak'. Harry had to force himself not to laugh or praise Hermione as the girl refused to speak causing Umbridge to talk for her.

Harry watched as Dumbledore ran rings around Fudge and Umbridge using their own rules, twisting the questions to suit him and simply playing them. By the end of it Dumbledore was gone, taking the blame of the DA with him.

_"I guess I don't need to impress upon you how manipulative the old fool can be, do I?"_ Voldemort asked as McGonagall ushered Harry out of the office.

_"Nope. But I kind of noticed already."_

_"What I do apparently still need to tell you, though, is to stop being so careless. That was too close. And I don't like having to leave it to the goat to safe you."_

_"I would have gone to live with you though if I'd been expelled right? You'd have got me out if they'd arrested me?"_

Voldemort chuckled. _"Yes brat, just don't take that as a reason to get expelled. Even though those Gryffindors are, I suspect, extremely annoying company."_

So the week ended with Umbridge crowning herself the new headmistress of Hogwarts.

.

AN: I realise this isn't my best but at least it's done.


	7. Chaos at the Ministry

A New Path

AN: Sorry for the delay. This last week hasn't been good for me. I didn't get anything written for anything in the first few days and, to add to why this took me so long, I've been trying to write this chapter without leaning on the book too much, like I have in the last couple of chapters. Hope it's worth the wait.

.

CHAPTER 7 - Chaos at the Ministry

.

.

Thanks to the genius of the Weasley twins, Umbridge spent the entirety of her first day as headmistress chasing seemingly sentient fireworks throughout the whole of Hogwarts castle. With the seemingly unintentional help of the professors and students, the days following weren't much better for the witch.

_"What did they say?"_

Harry frowned as Voldemort's voice appeared in his head.

_"About what?" _He paused then added. _"And who?"_

_"The Weasley twins, about becoming death eaters. They are still planning to leave Hogwarts, aren't they?"_

_"From what I know, yes, but no, they don't want to be death eaters. They'll join me though."_

_"But not me? Why? What's wrong with me?"_

_"Do you really want me to answer that? No, it's just they don't know if they can trust you yet but they trust me so it's kinda a compromise."_

_"Cute, brat. I can still curse you from here you know. A little spot of possession and I can even get you to do it for me whenever."_

_"Ah, but if you do that, what's to stop me from spreading the rumour that you're dating Rita Skeeter because she found out you're a halfblood?"_

_"Touché. Although I don't know how many would believe I could sink _that_ low."_

Harry laughed.

The Easter holidays arrived without further ado, bringing with it the promised planning session between Sirius and the twins. Harry would sit in and, if possible, Voldemort would make an appearance too. But first, Harry would have to break away from Hermione's revision timetable.

.

"You should be revising."

Harry practically jumped at hearing the voice so close yet not in his head. He spun around to stare at Voldemort. The dark lord merely smirked.

"Thought you'd be impressed." The twins chorused.

Harry turned to them. "This was you?" He asked in disbelief.

They nodded in synch. "With a little help from our favourite dark lord."

Harry ignored Voldemort laughing behind him in favour of questioning the twins further. "How? What? How? I mean-"

"Harry, breathe." Voldemort said, still laughing.

He did. In. Out. In. Out. And then stepped back so he could glare at the three inhabitants of the room easily.

The twins' grins grew. "It's the room -"

"- of requirements, we thought. -"

"- And you told us -"

"- how it worked. -"

"- D'you remember all -"

"- those questions we -"

"- got you to ask Voldie here? -" A non-existent eyebrow was raised by said man at the name.

"- Well, if you require -"

"- someone from outside -"

"- the castle, -"

"- the castle creates a -"

"- passage to let them in."

Harry blinked in confusion before it registered. "That's amazing."

"We know." The twins answered.

_"Do they always talk like that?" _Voldemort said into Harry's head.

_"Yes. Almost always."_

_"I'm going to need a headache reliever, I think."_

Harry chuckled.

"You know, if you want to say -"

"- something but don't want us -"

"- to hear it. You can always talk -"

"- in parseltongue."

Voldemort looked at the twins questioningly. "True, because only Harry and I speak it."

"For now." Harry stared at the twins with the same expression as Voldemort but neither responded to the twins' words.

"How did you know we were talking?" Harry asked.

"You both stared into space." George answered.

"You more than Voldie though." Fred continued.

"You might want to practice, Harry." Finished George.

"Perhaps," Harry conceded, "where's Sirius?"

"We are just waiting on the passage to him to materialise." Voldemort told him. "If it is to be secret he will have to be alone so therefore the room, I believe, is waiting for the opportune moment."

Harry nodded. "Is that what the snake portrait is?" He asked.

"Yes. It leads to my personally rooms at the manor." Voldemort pinned the twins with a fierce stare. "And no one is to travel the path except me."

"Were you planning on pranking Voldie?" Harry asked the twins in an innocent voice.

"Well a passage directly to his bedroom is a perfect gift for such dreams." They answered together.

"It doesn't lead to my bedroom." Voldemort said through clenched teeth, clearly trying not to curse Harry's friends.

Thankfully for everyone involved, at that moment a second portrait appeared beside the first. Seconds later, Sirius stepped out.

"Hope I'm not too late." He said without looking around. "Kreacher and Molly combined. When I finally got rid of that nasty elf Molly turned up to see how I was doing." He shook his head and looked at everyone present. "I mean, I've been locked- !"

There was a moment of stone statues while Sirius adjusted to seeing Voldemort in the same room, when it was over he sidled to the twins' side of the room.

"He doesn't bite." Harry said as an icebreaker. It worked. All five wizards laughed.

"Sorry." Sirius said to the dark lord. "It's just, well,"

"It is understandable." Voldemort answered coldly.

Harry smacked his arm. "Play nice."

Voldemort glared at him but didn't argue.

They discussed the plans for the end of term. After Harry had joined him, Voldemort explained that there was a prophecy regarding the two of them. He decided that he would try to discover the true prophecy so that he could check there would be was no problem ignoring it, despite Harry's claim that he should just ignore it altogether and that by trying to hear it he was being 'a little bit insane again'.

Voldemort's attempt to get hold of the prophecy had failed early but a new possibility had shown itself. By the end, it was decided that Sirius would fake his death while Harry retrieved the prophecy, keeping Voldemort's involvement to a minimum.

"After, Harry will be required to talk to Dumbledore. It is unavoidable. The old fool loves to play with his toys and Harry is one of his current favourites."

Harry nodded but remained quiet.

"We will try to take this opportunity to take him out of the game."

"Kill him?" Sirius asked, shocked.

Voldemort smirked. "Ah, yes. I temporarily forgot. You are a fan of his aren't you?"

Sirius bridled. "I followed him, if that's what you mean. I just think killing him is a bit far."

"How about keeping that as plan B." Harry said, breaking his silence. "Plan A being anything which won't kill him but will stop him going against us."

"We're with Harry." The twins chorused.

Both Sirius and Voldemort took in a deep breath before agreeing.

"So, Plan A?"

"Gossip? -"

"- Pranks? -"

"- Both?"

Voldemort shook his head. "That will not deter the man. Do you think I have not tried that? When I was younger and trying to get control through more," he looked at Harry with a smirk, "Slytherin ways, I outed his and Grindelwald's, shall we say, less than reported relationship and other juicy secrets Dumbledore kept hidden. As I'm sure I don't need to tell you, they went back to being hidden very quickly."

"Less than reported relationship?" Sirius asked, curious.

"They were lovers." Voldemort answered. "Before, and possibly but probably not, after."

"Oo, after's news to me." Harry said suddenly. "Spill."

At Sirius and the twins' questioning glances, Harry pointed at Voldemort.

"It is only suspicion. After all, Dumbledore had the man imprisoned despite the numerous calls for other punishments. The most popular being a death sentence."

"So... what do you suggest?"

"If I cannot kill him?" Voldemort paused in thought for a moment. "Get him locked away somewhere. Legally would probably be more effective than any kind of trick or trap."

"And we all know there's plenty he could get sent down for." Harry added quietly.

"There is?" The twins asked.

Sirius nodded sadly. "There is."

"So that's Plan A. Plan B?"

"We will discuss it when Plan A is in motion."

/You and I will discuss it later tonight. How is you Occulmency training coming along?\ Voldemort asked in parseltongue once the twins and Sirius started up on potential pranks for Umbridge and the ministry.

/I managed to block Snape yesterday. Well, I have before but this time I did it with my mind.\

/Well done. We are doing well. And your revision?\

Harry sighed. /Hermione has me studying like crazy so relax.\

Voldemort smiled happily.

/Is that why you've been quieter recently.\ Harry asked with a small frown.

/Have you been missing me?\ The dark lord teased.

/Yes.\ That caused the man to freeze momentarily.

/Yes. I thought you would want some peace.\

/Maybe you could help me study? When you're not busy with crazy death eaters.\

/Not all my death eaters are crazy. Granted, Bella and the other Azkaban escapees are a little unhinged but that is to be expected.\

/Unhinged does not describe Bella. I've seen her in your head. She's nuts.\

/She's not nuts, as you put it. She's... okay maybe she's a little nuts.\

/Aw, but you love her anyway.\ Voldemort raised his eyebrow again just as Harry pulled a face. /Do I have to treat her like a sister, when I come back to the manor, or does it not matter?\

Voldemort looked at Harry for a moment. /I suppose I do treat her like a daughter, don't I?\

/Er, yes.\ Harry said as if it were obvious.

/You just have to get along. That's all.\

Harry nodded.

.

Voldemort was impressed by the Weasley twins' portable swamp. On the first day of term after the holidays, the twins had made their exit in style, causing Umbridge as much chaos as possible in the process. For the first time either Harry or the dark lord had known, Peeves had taken an order from a student, the result of which was a continuous shower of poltergeist pranks for Umbridge and Filch.

_"They will make great death eaters."_ The dark lord said wistfully.

_"Wishful thinking. They said they won't be death eaters, remember?" _Harry replied to a growl from the man. _"Now lords of chaos perhaps, chaos masters? I dunno, something chaos."_

_"No."_

_"Why not?"_

_"It sounds childish."_

_"So? Death eaters sounds worse."_

There was a low growl. _"Maybe, they weren't that bad. Lords of chaos sounds better than chaos masters."_

_"Lords of chaos it is. I'll pass it on."_

.

Very quickly, the OWLs were on them and every fifth year student in Hogwarts was head deep in revision. Harry, with the tutoring from Voldemort and pushing from Hermione, was just about staying afloat with his revision between lessons with Snape, albeit lessening as the exams got nearer, and planning with his newly dubbed lords of chaos.

_"You must try harder, Harry. I will not have my heir receive anything less than an outstanding in his OWLs."_

_"Oh, so I'm your heir today, yesterday I was only your apprentice. What about in Divination?"_

There was a pause. _"Divination doesn't count. Why couldn't you have taken Runes or something else useful?"_

_"Because I had no idea and no one to correct me when I was picking them. It's your fault, you should have adopted me sooner."_

_"I haven't adopted you."_

_"What? No, you know what I meant."_

_"Did you want me to adopt you? I considered it but I thought it might be a little odd."_

_"..."_

_"Harry?"_

_"You were going to adopt me?"_

_"Um, end of conversation. Get back to revising."_

_"Voldemort."_

_..._

_"Voldemort?"_

_..._

_"Snake-faced albino?"_

_..._

_"Seriously? Nothing? Guess it really is back to revision then."_

.

"Harry? What happened? Are you alright? Are you ill?" Hermione and Ron rushed over to their friend the second the exam had finished.

"I, er -" _"fell asleep, History of Magic does that to me. Thanks Binns."_ "had a vision."

_"What are you doing?"_

_"Be quiet for a moment."_

Hermione was looking worried.

"Come on, I've got to tell you something." He pulled them into the first empty classroom he could find. When he was sure no one could hear them he spoke again. "Voldemort's got Sirius."

_"Interesting."_

"What?"

"How d'you -?"

"Saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam."

_"You're doing it now?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Thanks for the warning."_

_"No need for sarcasm. I'm taking advantage of the moment. Just like you taught me." _Harry sent a mental smirk at Voldemort and then focused back on his friends.

"Where?" Hermione was sheet white.

"Department of Mysteries."

It took a lot of persuading but eventually they were on their way to London. Due to Hermione's insistent pleading for proof before action, a trip to Umbridge's office was arranged first with the help of Luna and Ginny who had heard Harry's annoyed yelling. Chaos ensued, leaving the five plus Neville fleeing on thestral-back while Umbridge was left in the forbidden forest to deal with a herd of very angry centaurs and an over-enthusiastic Grawp and her inquisitorial squad all stunned or distracted back in her office. There was an awkward moment when Snape was thrown into the mix, neither Voldemort or Harry had informed him of the plan, but, like the spy he was, he played along for all sides and didn't interfere.

The atrium of the ministry of magic was strangely quiet and empty when they arrived, the only sound coming from the water gushing out of the golden fountain.

Unable to get any of the others to stay behind, the six made their way down into the Department of Mysteries and through many doors until they found the room full of prophecies.

_"Uh, which one?"_

_"Row... ninety-seven."_

"Row ninety-seven." Harry whispered, he just felt it right considering the lie he'd told for being here.

When they found the row, Harry rushed quietly down it whispering sureties that Sirius was there and playing confused when he, as expected, wasn't.

"Harry?" It was Ron.

"What?"

"Have you seen this?"

"What?" Ron didn't answer straight away, he was staring at a shelf. "What?"

"It's - it's got your name on?"

_"There aren't any negative spells, you should be able to just pick it up safely." _Voldemort whispered despite being in Harry's head.

"My name?" Harry moved closer to Ron and looked at the shelf. Sure enough, the prophecy was there. He reached forward to pick it up.

"Harry, I don't think you should touch it." Hermione said sharply as he reached out.

"Why not?" He asked. He should have expected Hermione to argue that. "It's something to do with me, isn't it?"

Before she could argue back, Harry picked up the orb. The other five moved in closer around Harry, gazing at the orb as he brushed off the dust and then waited.

It wasn't even a second he had to wait.

"Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

Harry turned to face Malfoy senior, pasting a surprised expression on his face to match those on his friends.

"To me, Potter." Malfoy said, hand held out palm up.

It was meant to be simple. Harry would be captured, the death eaters would take the prophecy and then the order, including Sirius, would rescue him. Sirius would pretend to take a hit and then the order and death eaters would leave their separate ways.

What happened was anything but simple.

Caught unexpected by the number of teenagers, Bella and Lucius were stalling for Harry to make a move. He obliged, leading to several shelves of prophecy to come tumbling down and the six teenagers to flee. Had it just been Harry he would have happily handed the prophecy over but with the others there it would have been too out of character.

As expected, the order arrived not long later and a chaotic fight began. Very quickly, Dumbledore turned up and joined in, many death eaters trying to flee when seeing him. Only one pair were still fighting.

Harry saw the curse fly at Sirius, saw it hit and saw him fall backwards towards the veil. It seemed to take an age for him to fall and it seemed so real. Harry fought back his urge to curse Bella for killing Sirius, knowing full well that the two had planned it and Sirius was safe. Instead, he chased her out of the room with the veil, through several of the other strange rooms and up into the atrium.

Not knowing who was watching they played the game, Harry throwing a crucio Bella's way but without true intent and Bella responding with taunts and teasing.

He heard him before he saw him. _"Where is it?"_ Harry turned to see Voldemort striding towards him. _"The prophecy, where is it?"_

_"It smashed while I was carrying Neville." _Harry answered, confused by the man's unexpected appearance.

Voldemort growled. _"I will curse him for it."_

_"Hey! If anyone's cursing Neville it will be me. The reason it happened was partly because some of the death eaters got a little too into the fight, besides it's not like we really need it."_

That didn't seem to calm the dark lord much, but before the man could respond Dumbledore turned up.

The headmaster threw Harry, by a spell, out of the way, protected by part of the now animate fountain. Harry tried to get up but the statue-wizard pushed him down.

_"Stay down."_ Voldemort ordered. Harry obeyed.

Voldemort and Dumbledore fought for some time before Harry sensed a pulse of magic. He guessed it was something to do with the missing fountain statues but didn't get the chance to find out. Dumbledore's last spell had caused Voldemort to become encased in water. Just before he vanished, causing the water to splash to the floor, Harry heard a voice in his mind. _"I'm sorry. Remain calm. It will be ok."_ And then everything went black.

When he woke, Harry found himself lying on the floor with Dumbledore looking down at him apologetically. He pushed himself up and glanced around. There were many other witches and wizards filling the hall now. Immediately, Harry identified the minister of magic, still in his pyjamas under his pinstriped cloak.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Whatever the meaning was, Harry didn't get to know because it was then that Dumbledore spoke, causing Fudge to notice Harry in the wreckage. "If you would give me a moment minister, I will explain everything when Harry is back at school."

"Harry - Harry Potter?" Fudge seemed dazed.

While the minister was adjusting, Dumbledore created a portkey and gave it to Harry. "I will be along shortly. We will talk then."

"Just wait a minute, Dumbledore. You don't have authorisation for that portkey-"

The world around Harry dissolved and he felt himself being pulled by his navel. No matter how many times he'd travelled by portkey with the twins and Voldemort, Harry still hated it with a passion.

He landed alone in Dumbledore's office.

It didn't take long for the many portraits to start talking to him. Harry remained silent and simply sat in a chair to wait.

When Dumbledore finally returned, Harry was ready to channel some anger and grief his way. Harry tensed as Dumbledore watched him. As per their agreement, Voldemort was keeping his distance from Harry's mind so that Dumbledore wouldn't suspect anything.

Knowing his godfather had supposedly died, Harry pretended to be furious with spurts of grief fill rage. Quite happily, he destroyed several instruments and other assortments as part of his act. Voldemort had mentioned during their talk that Dumbledore probably had some device somewhere that monitored Harry and Harry was keen to get rid of it. Even if he missed that particular instrument, the mess would still hit Dumbledore's surveillance of something.

They talked for some time, various topics, until eventually the prophecy came up.

Harry watched the memory Trelawney speak in the harsh, hoarse voice he had heard her use only once before, noting every word of the prophecy carefully. After it was done and the memory had sunk back into the pensive, Harry went back to fiddling with the ring on his finger. Dumbledore noticed, his eyes scanned Harry's hand for the briefest second. Harry forced down the grin.

They talked about the prophecy, Harry playing dumb to the implied meaning. Dumbledore explained what he believed and Harry listened, asking questions at intervals. Gently, Harry steered the conversation towards Voldemort, focusing on his first 'death' and on his diary from Harry's second year. While trying to seem like a grieving child that only wanted to know the truth, Harry pushed Dumbledore on Voldemort's supposed immortality using the prophecy as an excuse to question it.

After some time, the talking slowed then ended and Dumbledore sent Harry to be with his friends.

_/You did well.\_ Harry heard as he descended the stairs. _/I apologise for the need to possess you back there, in the ministry.\_

_"Why are you speaking in parseltongue? We're in my head. No one can hear us." _He asked after passing the gargoyle.

_/I do not want to take the risk, and neither should you.\_

_/Fine. But you're paranoid, you know that? Will it be okay? The ring?\_

_/It will be fine.\_ Voldemort answered confidently. _/I have replaced it with a cursed fake. Dumbledore will not be able to tell the difference and, with luck, he will curse himself while he tries to destroy it.\_

_/And there was me thinking we were going to get him arrested first before killing him.\_

_/I see no reason not being prepared for the worst.\_

Harry snorted. _/And you had to get me involved?\_

_/Think of it as life practice. We can still try to get him arrested if it makes you feel better? The twins and Black will be expecting it.\_

.

AN: Sorry this chapter is so short and took so long to arrive.

I will continue to try to write this story but if anyone is interested in adopting it they are welcome, just please PM me so I can put a link either here or on my profile.


	8. Games

A New Path

AN: Told you I'd continue writing.

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CHAPTER 8 - Games

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Dumbledore and the cursed ring played on Harry's mind the whole train journey. Ron and Hermione seemed to assume his distraction was due to Sirius' 'death' but Neville, who knew otherwise, was watching him thoughtfully. Just before catching the train Harry had confided in Neville the truth about their trip to the ministry. Many weeks earlier, during a routine DA meeting, Harry had told Neville to meet him later alone. He talked to Neville just like he had with the twins but stopped short of the parts to do with Voldemort.

Now all Harry could do was wonder whether Dumbledore was already dying and the only person he could talk to, who had a chance of understanding what he felt, was watching him. Harry caught his eye and Neville nodded just noticeably. At the first opportunity, Harry would spill all and Neville would listen and offer soothing words without prejudice.

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The platform came into sight and Harry found himself being led along by Ron, Hermione and Ginny towards the Weasley clan and several order members. He flashed a smile at Neville as they parted ways, the other teen still a little dazed from Harry's confessions.

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In the distance, on the muggle side of the platform, Harry spotted his uncle. The grimace it inspired must have been noticeable because Lupin patted him on the back almost instantly. "Don't worry about them, we'll be having a word." Harry forced down the second grimace but it still got noticed by Hermione, who replied with a slight scowl crossed with apologetic eyes. It was a unique look.

Following the mass of adults, Harry walked up to his remaining family, the Dursleys, lovingly referred to in his mind as his old family, never-have-to-actually-meet-again family, what-am-I-still-doing-here? family

_"Why do I have to go back again? Can't I go to the manor? What am I still standing here for when I could be hijacking Malfoy's family."_

_"Behave. It won't be for long. You'll be back and causing all kinds of chaos in no time."_

Harry grudgingly snapped back to reality in time to hear Moody and Vernon's debate about whether Vernon looked like the kind of man that could be intimidated. He didn't bother to hide his amusement, less so when Vernon proved that he did look like and was that kind of man. "See you next year." Harry said to Ron, Hermione and Ginny as he walked away, Vernon scurrying behind to catch up.

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Privet Drive was exactly the same as when he left and Harry wasn't glad to be back.

_"How long?"_

_"Leave your unneeded in that hole they call your room and then head to the park. Take a football or something and after a moment's kickabout pretend to lose your ball in the large, dark foliage. There, there will be a, we shall call him a volunteer, give him your ball, or whatever, and take the portkey that will be left there for you."_

_"And simply walking out the front door wouldn't work because...?"_

_"I don't want your questions. Just get there before I have to come get you myself."_

_"Alright, alright."_

Harry trudged up the stairs and dumped his things in his room before rushing back out the front door. He heard Vernon call something but ignored it and practically ran to the park. When he got there it was still light so there were a few parents and children in the area. As ordered, Harry kicked the ball he had liberated from Dudley's stash of forgotten toys around for a little while. Without actually needing to pretend, Harry lost the ball to the bushes and went to retrieve it.

He pushed his way into the bush and quickly found his ball but no other people. Starting to suspect he was in the wrong 'large, dark foliage', Harry started to back up when a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Harry looked up to see his own face staring back at him. A little stunned, he passed the ball to his second self. The second Harry took it, but didn't look to happy about it, and then began to leave. Just as he passed Harry, he stopped and pointed at a button on the ground. Harry nodded and crouched down to pick it up.

As he began to stand again, the world began to spin. Harry closed his eyes as the portkey transported him to the private lounge of the dark lord.

When Harry opened his eyes he was surprised to see that he wasn't at Malfoy Manor.

After blinking a few times and taking several deep, soothing breaths, Harry looked around. Very quickly his eyes found crimson ones and he cocked his head questioningly at the older wizard.

"Malfoy Manor is currently under inspection by the aurors because Lucius was captured during the ministry fiasco."

Harry nodded.

"We will return to our usual quarters soon enough but for this evening we shall spend some time here, my father's house."

"Your father's house? But I thought-?"

"Don't."

Harry knew when not to push and this was one of those times. "So where am I allowed to go and not go? Are we staying overnight? If so, where will I be sleeping?"

Voldemort closed his eyes with a light growl. "So many questions." He moaned. "Harry, I have spent the day with death eaters desperately trying to promote themselves through mind-destroyingly stupid and transparent actions; dealing with the fallout from your little escapade and other stressful activities I would rather not have to deal with, so I don't really care as long as you don't bring the order or aurors to our door and the part of the house that I'm in still stands." He rubbed his temple. "I shall be in the potions lab. Waste your time however you wish. I will summon you when it is time to leave."

Voldemort left and Harry found himself standing alone in the dusty, unloved living room of the manor that once housed the Riddle family with no rules except to not cause _too_ much trouble.

Oh, the things a boy could do...

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It was dark out by the time Voldemort went in search of Harry. He hadn't intended to spend so long in his family manor but the chief auror in charge of inspecting Malfoy Manor had been none other than Mad Eye Moody. As such, it was by pure luck that his private quarters were intact with secrets still hidden and the inspection, that was practically a prolonged, repeated raid, had ended so soon. It was partly due to Dumbledore's insistence that Moody join recent order meetings meaning the man had little choice but to be less, thorough. Voldemort hated that. It almost meant he owed the goat.

He strolled down to where he sensed the boy was hidden. For some reason the teen was hidden from his mind and it not only puzzled Voldemort but immensely irritated him too. He was someone who had to be in control. Harry was someone who was adept at taking that very same control away without even trying, sometimes without even knowing. It was infuriating. And oddly enough, that was why Voldemort was determined never to lose him back to Dumbledore or the muggles. Or even Sirius.

"Harry?" Voldemort called as he entered what was most likely another lounge. "Brat, where are you?" He walked straight through and into a cavernous library that was full of fiction books and decorations but lacking in anything reference or educational, everything of interest - and there were very few to start with - Voldemort had taken years ago. "Potter, we may finally leave this place."

Retracing his steps back into the lounge, Voldemort stopped still and peered through the room, eyes narrowed. "Harry?"

He knew the boy was there somewhere, he could sense him, but where seemed to be a problem.

He looked at the wreckage of the room, someone had done quite a number on one side, almost certainly Harry, while the other seemed pristine. It occurred to Voldemort that the mass of broken furniture looked almost like a testing ground for something he didn't want to consider. The twins and Sirius would pay a great price if his assumptions were true.

It was when he was inspecting the rubble that it happened. A large, cloaked form pounced on him from behind causing the dark lord to fall over inelegantly into an unceremonious heap. From somewhere unknown, a mass of white feathers surrounded him, drifting lazily in the air.

Voldemort looked up just in time to see the same form, cloak falling loose around his shoulders, flee into the relative safety of the library.

"Harry." Voldemort warned, standing. The feathers continued to flutter around him, several refusing to leave his robes.

Harry could be heard laughing from the other room.

"We are leaving. Get in here now." A quick spell and all the feathers disappeared. "Now, Harry."

The teen walked in, cloak folded and tucked under arm, and walked straight up to the dark lord, a mask of full innocence.

He winced.

Voldemort smirked.

They walked out to the main lounge where the only floo-connected fireplace stood, passing no more than three mirrors.

Harry passed the first.

Frowned at the second.

Did a double take at the third.

"WHY DO I HAVE FEATHERS?!"

Voldemort laughed.

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Malfoy Manor was eerily quiet when they stepped out of the floo. Before they'd left Riddle Manor, Harry had slipped his glamour necklace back on. Voldemort's prank-spell had faded and most of the feathers had fallen away but the cat ears, which were currently flat, and tail remained. Voldemort refused to remove them and Harry ended up stalking through the maze of corridors to his room. On the way he passed an extremely confused Malfoy and his mother; Cissy simply chuckled which had the result of an even more confused Draco turning to look at her and walking into a door instead. Needless to say, by the time Harry reached his room he was a lot less moody.

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Now that he was back home, Harry unpacked properly. His wand, once again, had been confiscated but this time he had been told it wasn't for the whole summer.

It was quite late in the day now and Harry still hadn't had any dinner. He was determined to play the part of a moody teenager but hunger was calling. Harry considered that maybe the dark lord had already eaten and forgotten about him but, in the end, he decided it would just be simpler to call Dinky to bring him something than potentially have to avoid talking to Voldemort at the dinner table.

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Despite his plan to give Voldemort the silent treatment, Harry couldn't stop wondering about Dumbledore, so the following morning, around three quarters of an hour after breakfast, Harry sought out the pale wizard. It went to show how open his mind was to the man that he didn't have to explain what he was talking about anymore.

"Did he fall for it?" Harry asked as he entered the private study of the dark lord.

Voldemort looked up from the book he was studying. "We will have to wait and see."

Harry sat in what they both deemed his chair and stared at the man. "How quickly will the curse kill him? Is it curable?" He asked after a long silence.

Voldemort stopped mid-note, breathed in and out, placed his quill down and looked at Harry "Without treatment, hours, days at the most." He said slowly. "I will admit, it can be cured, but only by me. The best he can hope for without my mercy will be a year or two before it claims him wholly. He will blacken and decay while still alive and it will be no less than he deserves."

"You, need to chill out."

Voldemort gave him a look. "Do I?"

"Yes. I'm sure no one deserves a horrible death even if you don't like them."

The dark lord snorted. "You have a lot to learn." He said going back to his book.

"Or maybe _you_ do." Harry countered.

Harry didn't see Voldemort's stunned expression because, as taught by the same man, just for the extra impact, he rose from his chair and left the room as casually as if he had said 'goodbye' instead. Unfortunately he forgot about his tail which had handily wrapped itself around the leg of the chair so his casual exit turned a bit slapstick in the middle after which he had to right himself and put the chair back to where it had been before.

Pretending nothing hilarious had happened Harry strode from the room and headed to the guest quarters that had been warded almost as tight as Voldemort's and was currently the home of a certain not-really-dead wizard.

When he arrived there were three wizards chatting, they looked up with questioning, unsure glances. Harry smirked and removed his necklace, the glamour falling away instantly.

"Harry!" The dual cries of the Weasley twins filled the room. Harry grinned in greeting.

"Great to see you, Pup." Sirius added as the crush of the Weasley-Black-Potter hug began.

After a very short, awkwardly tangled, moment Sirius and the twins stepped away from Harry so that he could breathe again.

"Uh... -" Fred.

"- Harry?" George.

"You have cat ears." Both.

"And a tail." Sirius.

Harry's grin widened. "Yep. Present from Voldie."

"Oh...kay...?"

Over the morning and previous night, Harry had gotten used to the tail and ears and now was rather fond of them. In all honesty, he'd be sad when the spell finally ended.

"It wasn't really a gift. It was because I took advantage of a perfect moment to knock him on his backside so he hexed me. I had feathers, too, to start with."

Sirius grinned. "Never miss an opportunity to get a dark lord to fall over."

The twins bowed their heads in unison, reminiscent of students to their sensei.

"I was trying to set a prank but he came in too early."

"Ah, too bad." George told him. "Better luck next time."

"When d'you reckon the cat bits will go?" Sirius asked.

Harry shrugged. "Dunno. Voldemort's saying nothing and I've got no clue. The feathers were all gone in under half an hour."

They spent the whole morning catching up on the gossip before Fred and George had to bid goodbye due to their new shop. Harry stayed with Sirius for the rest of the day, Cissy popping in at one point for a chat and to examine Harry's new additions. It was everything Harry had wanted for the longest time but he knew it couldn't last, not yet.

"When do you have to go back?" Sirius asked, having just caught his breath after the last round of side-splitting laughter.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know." He said. "When Dumbledore decides to check on me? When the ministry do something else stupid? Could be any time. I don't want to think about it."

"You want to stay here?"

Harry laughed. "Well, duh. Yeah, I want to stay here. I wanted to stay here last summer but the searches kept getting worse."

"We were worried." Sirius argued.

"Yeah, well, I was safe. For the first time in a very long time. And I was happy too."

Sirius shook his head. "We didn't know that at the time."

"Well, if Dumbledore, or any of the others for that matter, had known at the time, I would probably been locked up or something and had brainwashing sessions."

"I doubt that, he would have been happy you were happy. We all would."

"Living with Voldemort? At Malfoy Manor?" Harry chuckled sourly. "Some of the order might have managed it but not many. And certainly not Dumbledore. He would hate that _his_ pawn was so near Voldemort's hands."

Sirius nodded and was about to respond when there was a knock at the door.

They both looked up to see who was entering, Harry hastily shoving his glamour-necklace back around his neck.

The door opened to admit a somehow familiar looking man. Harry had to think about it for moment before his memories clicked.

"Rodolphus." Harry greeted cheerfully.

The man bowed. Beside Harry, Sirius laughed at the action but then lowered his head in greeting to the man who returned the gesture.

"Should I return another time?" Rodolphus asked.

"No, that is alright. Uh,..." Sirius started, hesitating at Harry's name. He glanced at said teen in a silent plea for words. "Uh... the young man and I were just catching up. Feel free to interrupt."

Rodolphus smiled in the dual meaning way all Slytherins master, it was clear he had caught a meaning in Sirius' pause but wasn't going to ask directly. "The dark lord would like me to introduce myself, my prince." He said to Harry. "He wishes for me to tutor you in your studies and would like for us to begin as soon as you require. He informed me that you are studying ahead of your years and therefore may wish coaching in a few subjects."

Harry nodded, quickly sending Sirius a sharp look for his amused expression. "Yes, um, I've covered most of the first five years syllabus but should probably go back over them with you just to make sure I understand them properly so that I can start on the sixth year syllabus."

Rodolphus smiled. "Am I correct, my prince, in saying that you are only thirteen?"

Harry hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes, that is correct."

Sirius held in a laugh and Harry fought off a blush. Rodolphus clearly noticed but didn't comment.

"And may I ask which of the schools of magic you attend, your father did not mention."

"If he did not say then it is not my place to tell you, "Harry answered without missing a beat, "I should trust his judgement where my education and safety is concerned. But you may know that he has me following the standard Hogwarts syllabus when I am here."

Rodolphus nodded. "Perhaps a training session later tomorrow, my prince?"

Harry glanced at Sirius who was now sporting a very stiff, pureblood-trained blank face. "Yes, that will be good.I'll talk with V-my father before hand and send an elf about the time."

Rodolphus bowed again and, just before he left, turned to Sirius. "Lord Black, my wife requests your company for lunch tomorrow. May a pass on your acceptance?"

Sirius blanked for a moment. "Yes. Um, yes. Tomorrow, lunch. Yes, that's, I'll be there."

When Rodolphus was gone Harry turned on Sirius and Sirius on Harry.

"Thirteen? Father?"

"Lunch with Bella?"

They stared at each other for several long seconds.

Then burst into laughter.

"Look at us. Me living like I never left the family and you cosying up to the dark lord as his son." Sirius chuckled. "Father?"

"His idea."

"And the thirteen years old thing?"

Harry blushed. "That was me. Originally I was older but his plan fell through at the first hurdle."

"So he _does_ make mistakes!" Sirius said victoriously. "Just goes to show the man's human after all."He added with difficulty as they were laughing full out again.

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The days passed between messing around with Sirius, training with Rodolphus, fleeing the strange attentions of Bella and Nagini and pestering the dark lord. Near the end of the first week, Harry decided it was time to introduce a new piece to the party and as such spent the first half of the morning tailing Voldemort. By the end of the morning all the preparations had been made and Harry was stood happily waiting at the floo.

It took a few minutes but soon a figure emerged from the green flames.

"Neville!" Harry leapt at his friend the second he was clear of the fireplace.

"Harry, you're lucky I could persuade Gran to let me out of the house after everything that happe- whoa! You've got ears!"

Harry reached a hand to one of the appendages with a grin on his face, stroking it absently. "And a tail." He flicked it up and into sight. Neville gaped.

"Do I want to know? And why do you look so different?"

Harry beckoned Neville to follow, saying nothing.

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It was an odd meeting, and Bella turning up in the middle of it didn't help make it any easier. The presence of Sirius and the Weasley twins did a little though.

Neville looked up at Voldemort only to quickly look away again.

The dark lord remained quiet and impassive.

"Oh, I've told you before. Play nice." Harry was currently being babied by Bella and Nagini. He didn't complain. It was heaven when they rubbed behind his new ears.

"You are the Longbottom heir, I take it?" Voldemort asked, his tone flat. It was obvious to everyone it was only for conversation.

"Y-yes, sir." Neville's eyes danced quickly around the room. Harry noticed they stopped on Bella the longest.

"Gryffindor?"

Neville nodded, unable to speak again.

Harry rolled his eyes and whispered to Nagini in parseltongue. It had been a long time in the making but the large snake now saw Harry as her child. Harry considered it a little weird that Nagini thought of Harry as her son when Voldemort was supposedly his father but didn't comment about it to either of them. He simply thanked whoever would listen that the reptile was no longer trying to eat him.

After a few seconds persuading and the offer of a juicy rat- Pettigrew watch out -Nagini unwound herself from Harry's lap and slithered over to her master.

/The young one has a message for you, Master.\ She hissed.

Voldemort raised his still missing eyebrow. /Go on.\

/He says that this Neville-hatchling is a great friend of his. He is nervous but he worth knowing.\ Nagini flicked her tongue in and out before finishing. /He also says that if you scare him away the young one will,\ she paused, ready to repeat the message word for word, /magically superglue antlers to your head while you sleep and give Rita Skeeter your personal floo address.\

Voldemort turned his gaze to Harry, who was staring at him with the sternest glare he could muster while being petted and preened by Bella.

/Tell him to never start a battle he can't win.\ Voldemort hissed to his snake. /Then flick his ear or tail.\ He added with a grin.

Nagini relayed the message. Harry's reaction was funny in its simplicity. He crossed his arms and pouted.

The entire back and forth was watched with amusement by the twins and Sirius, Neville too on edge to be amused and Bella too busy pampering her new 'brother'.

"May we intervene in this -"

"- lovely family feud-to-be."

"Neville come here." Sirius finished with a wave of his arm.

Neville didn't need another word, he was up and over to the Black lord like a flash.

"If you'll excuse us, I'll just take this young wizard somewhere before he becomes permanently scarred." Sirius swept out of the room with Neville under his arm, the twins following with playful watching-you gestures at Harry and Voldemort.

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Several more days passed, equally as full and playful. Neville came to visit only once more but that time seemed a lot more relaxed. Whatever the twins and Sirius did or said to him, it seemed to have worked wonders.

Harry was lazing in the dark lord's study, still with catly additions, when the letter arrived.

It was from Dumbledore.

As he read it, Harry's heart sank.

"What is the issue?" Voldemort asked without looking up from what he was doing. He had gotten used to Harry's company just as much as Harry had got used to his and knew when there was something upsetting the teen.

"Dumbledore." Harry said sadly, chucking the rolled letter at the older wizard's lap. "He wants to meet me at the Dursley's on Friday."

Harry slouched over the side of his chair, looking at the pale man opposite over his folded arms.

Voldemort read the note with a blatant look of distaste.

"You will have to go." He said simply. But Harry could hear the small sign of sadness in his tone.

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The man currently wearing Harry's face look relieved when Harry met him in the same bush from before. They repeated the exchange, only this time in reverse, and Harry was soon ambling back to his muggle family's home.

Voldemort had regretfully removed the spell from Harry, the tail and ears disappearing as if they had never been. Harry didn't know what was worse, going back to the Dursleys; leaving the manor or losing his cat bits. Either way, he was sad.

It was later that day that Dumbledore turned up, just as he'd said in the letter.

Harry sat and listened to what Dumbledore had to say. When he crossed the topic of Harry's inheritance, Harry's ears perked up. Had Sirius sorted it so that Dumbledore wouldn't be any the wiser? Apparently he had. Kreacher, following orders from both Sirius and some stern, and more importantly confidential, goblins, treated him just like he would his master.

With all the talking done, Dumbledore called for Harry to accompany him on a trip. Not that he had any other option, Harry grabbed hold of his arm, carefully avoiding contact with the other, blackened, limb.

_._

_"So? What did the old fool want?"_ Voldemort asked inside Harry's head.

_"I thought you wanted us to talk in parseltongue?"_

_"Only the important things. Things we really don't need Dumbledore hearing if he takes a look inside your head. So?"_

_"I've only just got here! And by the way, side-apparition with you is sooo much better than with Dumbledore."_

Voldemort laughed. _"Of course it is, but where has he taken you? I know you're not at the burrow, order headquarters, Hogwarts or the muggles' house and he has no right to take you anywhere else so tell me."_

_"Some other muggles' house. And it's a mess. Oh! That settee just turned into a man. Take a look through my eyes, see if you know him."_

There was a pause while Voldemort did just that.

_"Slughorn? Why him? Is there something Snape forgot to tell me?"_

_"You're still talking to me you know. Who's Slughorn? Apart from obviously the, large man in front of me. Oh and if you're going to torture Snape please can you keep it to a minimum? I'm sure he didn't mean to keep it from you and if he did there's probably a very good reason."_

_"I thought you didn't like Snape."_

_"I don't. Not much. Okay maybe I'm starting to like him when he forgets it's me because I'm wearing the glamour and he's distracted. He's quite friendly then. I think he knows I quite like potions when given the chance."_

_"You didn't say that before."_

_"That was before I knew what it was like to brew a potion without someone effectively making me mess it up all the time. I like brewing without the pressure he used to put on me. I'll admit, I'm still not the best potions student but I've learnt it can be fun. So, who's Slughorn?"_

_"By the sounds of it, your new potions professor. His name is Horace Slughorn, he used to teach me when I was at Hogwarts."_

Harry snapped back to reality when his mind flagged up that Dumbledore was leaving the room.

_"I'm alone with him. What should I do?"_

_"Play nice."_ It was accompanied by amusement and what Harry knew would be there if he could see the dark lord's face, a smirk.

Eventually Dumbledore returned and they left Slughorn alone in the muggle house.

_"He used me."_

_"He did."_ Voldemort agreed.

_"He didn't even try to pretend he wasn't either."_

_"But he didn't tell you he was going to, did he? Where are you going now?"_

_"The bee says the burrow."_

_"The bee?"_

_"Blame Sirius, it's his nickname. Says Dumbledore's always buzzing here and there like a bee."_

Harry's stomach clenched as they apparated to the burrow. He sighed. Another summer with the Weasleys, and this time he would have to pretend he'd just lost his godfather. Well, in some respects he had, there would be no talking with Sirius until the start of school. As Harry knocked the Weasley's door a lonely thought went through his mind: it was going to feel like a long summer.

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AN: This chapter was supposed to be Harry and the order but apparently neither of us wanted him to leave Voldie and co just yet.


	9. Back to School Again

A New Path

AN: Firstly, this is an apology to my lovely and patient readers, I'm sorry this took so long to arrive and I apologise for its relative poorness. This chapter just did not want to be written and after a point I just had to force myself to write _something_. The good news, however, is that there is only one more Hogwarts-set chapter to go after this one because, let's face it, I have a better update rate when it comes to the non-Hogwarts stuff.

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CHAPTER 9 - Back to School. Again.

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Harry returned to Hogwarts with the Weasleys. The summer, as he had expected, had dragged in places but thankfully, because everyone thought he was grieving, he got to act grumpy for no reason, refusing all company, then suddenly switch and happily play two-aside Quidditch with Ron, Ginny and Hermione.

He purposely didn't discuss Sirius with them. Or the coming war. If Voldemort could keep him out of it, he thought, so could the order.

The weeks had been strange without any of the people and creatures he had got used to seeing. Harry kept waking up in the mornings expecting to find Nagini curled onto the foot of his bed because Voldemort had sent her out or for to Dinky pop in to find out what he wanted for breakfast and lay out fresh clothes.

It got easier as he began remembering why he became friends with his light friends in the first place. With the last year happening the way it did, Harry had stopped thinking of many of his old friends as friends and more as guards and observers and hangers-on and, the order. It pained him to realise how distanced he was making himself. Ron and Hermione had been his first real friends, he shouldn't just chuck them away because they didn't suit his new life.

Harry decided there and then, if he could convince them, he would bring Ron and Hermione in. But only if convince them the sun didn't actually shine out of Dumbledore's a-

"Harry! Harry dear, have you got everything? The train's leaving."

Harry snapped out of his daydream and smiled warmly at Mrs Weasley. "Yes, sorry, thanks." He boarded the train with the others.

"Really Harry, you need to stop drifting off like that." Hermione scolded, but it was only half-hearted because she was instantly distracted by a grumpy Crookshanks who didn't want to be told where to be.

Harry laughed at the ginger cat's antics.

"Good to see you smile, mate." Ron said and took the lead, finding them a compartment.

"Ron." Hermione piped up. "Perfect duty?"

Ron flushed. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, mate." He said, turning to Harry. "We'll meet you later."

The two Gryffindor prefects leftfor the prefect carriage and Harry continued to find himself somewhere to sit.

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"Hi Nev." Harry said as he sat down beside the boy.

Neville gave him a stern look. "Hi indeed. Thanks for that, by the way." He said. "This summer."

Harry smirked. "Admit it, you enjoyed yourself after you got over the company."

Across the way Luna looked at them curiously before turning back to her magazine. Neville's eyes darted to the girl quickly before he spoke again. "Maybe." He admitted.

Harry laughed and they began swapping stories of the second halves of their summers.

It was a while later that Ron and Hermione joined them, complaining about Draco's unusual behaviour and failure to join in with the prefect duties.

Harry made several not-very-subtle suggestions for Draco's actions but was shrugged off yet again by those who were listening.

"What was that about?" Neville asked quietly to the girl next to him.

"Harry thinks Draco's a death eater." Hermione explained.

Neville nodded but didn't say anymore.

A little while later, a note arrived for Harry and another to Neville in the hands of a breathless third year girl. It was an invitation to the slug club. Voldemort had warned Harry about it and he wasn't exactly enthusiastic to go.

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The lunch meeting with Slughorn was strange and at times awkward. Several other students were there, all of whom, except Ginny, was related to someone famous or important.

When it started getting dark, Slughorn, after much semi-friendly and cheerful interrogation, finally let them leave his compartment.

On the way back to their compartment, Harry suddenly excused himself and walked away. Not thinking anything of it, Neville continued on to their friends.

As Neville arrived back at the compartment a thought went through his mind. The others were hastily putting their school robes on while Neville considered what had just happened.

Neville got up.

"And where are you off to?" Hermione asked like a suspicious mother.

Neville shrugged. "I'm going to check Harry doesn't do something stupid." He said then walked out.

Neville spotted Harry a little further down the corridor and trotted to catch him up. Moments before he reached the teen, Neville blinked. When his eyes opened again, Harry had disappeared.

"Why are you following me?" A voice whispered from behind him.

Neville turned around but the immediate area was empty. "You're under your cloak, aren't you?" He whispered.

"Yes. ...Hang on."

Neville stood casually, pretending to be admiring the view when a third year Ravenclaw walked passed.

"The coast is clear, get under here."

Neville obeyed and joined Harry under his invisibility cloak. It was a tight squeeze to get them both fully under and invisible but they managed it. Partially by backing into a corner so they could focus on covering the whole of one side.

"So? What are you following me for?" Harry whispered. No one was nearby but better safe than sorry.

"I wanted to make sure you didn't do something stupid. Like stalk Blaise to get to Malfoy and get caught. Because we both know you would. You'd do maybe one thing and it would give you away and because you'd be hidden somewhere in a compartment - we're on the train remember - you'd be cornered." Neville let out the rest of his breath. "Good enough reason?"

Harry shrugged dejectedly. "Yeah."

"Why do you think Draco's a death eater anyway?"

"I spotted him up to something in Diagon Alley while I was with the Weasleys." Harry told Neville. "There are other little things but that's the main of it."

"And? Can't you just ask, you know?"

Harry chuckled. "I could, but what if I'm wrong and he's doing something else and I get him into trouble with, _him_." Harry shook his head. "He was nice to me last summer. Well he was before he realised it was me, and that one time after he'd been obliviated when I bumped into him."

Neville made a soothing sound of understanding.

_"He is a death eater and why would I hurt him?"_

"Merlin's pants! He's listening!"

Neville choked at the realisation of who Harry meant while laughing at the teen's shocked expression.

_"Of course I'm listening. You were broadcasting your every action since Diagon Alley into my mind."_

Harry blushed.

"What'd he say?" Neville asked.

"Something I don't want to imagine what he saw."

_"Some of it, neither do I. Get better control. You've not been doing the mind exercises I set you, have you?"_

_"Um, no. Sorry. Weasleys?"_

_"Not a good enough excuse. I would say you're well on the way to traumatising me but the truth is I see a lot worse from some of the death eaters."_

Harry laughed.

Neville, watching for stray eyes, pulled the cloak off and dragged Harry back to their compartment.

.

The train arrived at the station without any further troubles. Harry got off with Neville and Luna, heading off to find a carriage.

_"This year will be interesting for you."_ Voldemort whispered into Harry's mind. _"I have no doubt that Dumbledore will drag you into some scheme of his this year."_

_"Now that he's dying, you mean?"_

_"Yes, and now that you are informed. I imagine he will want you to feel included now that you have proved that you will no longer play the mindless sheep to his shepherd."_

_"I hate that comparison. I was never a sheep."_

_"To him, you were."_

"Harry, we're here." Luna's voice drifted through Voldemort's reply.

Harry blinked once and nodded. They left the carriage and walked into the school yet again for another year.

"I wonder who our Defence professor is this year." Neville mused aloud as they entered the castle.

Harry was about to comment about Slughorn taking over Snape's job when they entered the great hall.

"Oh, no." He said. "It's Snape."

Neville turned to him. "What do you mean?" Luna was looking at him curiously too.

Ron and Hermione had just caught up. "What's Snape?" Ron asked from behind the trio. He looked up at the head table. "I wonder who that big bloke is?"

"He must be the new Defence professor." Hermione told him.

Harry looked up the professors. "No. He's not."

Hermione shot him a look. "How do you know? He's the only new professor so he must be."

Harry shook his head. "No, that's professor Slughorn. He's the new potions professor. Snape must be teaching Defence this year. He always said that was the job he wanted."

Hermione thought about it for a moment. "Slughorn?" She asked. Harry nodded. "I've read about him. Wasn't he the potions professor here before Snape?"

Harry shrugged. "Probably. I think so. I know he used to work here years ago, so maybe."

They went to find seats at the tables.

"Doesn't matter anyway, won't be taking potions this year." Ron muttered as they sat.

"I hear he's a very good teacher." Neville offered from beside Harry. "Gran's mentioned him a few times."

"Well I think he'll be brilliant and I can't believe you're dropping out Ron." Hermione said in her usual know-it-all tone.

"I didn't choose to drop potions, Hermione, I didn't get the grades."

"Neither did I." Harry added glumly. Voldemort had not been happy about that, the memory still stung. "I only got an E."

"Same here." Ron agreed.

"Only an E? It's better than my A." Neville argued.

Harry looked at him shocked. "An A, surely you got an E. You were doing so well in the exam without Snape watching you."

"It didn't matter, potions isn't my subject. I'm happy I got a pass."

The sorting and the feast passed quickly and soon it was the following day. Much to Harry and Ron's surprise, when McGonagall came around with their timetables they found they were still eligible for potions.

But first they had to get through Defence.

Snape had already made himself at home, the classroom was much darker than Harry remembered it ever being.

The first lesson Snape set them for the year was the casting of non-verbal spells. Harry paired with Ron and stood waiting to be jinxed by the boy who was trying desperately not to utter any incantation. While he waited, Harry found himself wondering about Voldemort's silence. This was the kind of class he'd expected hundreds of little pointers, or, more realistically, notes on failures, but there was only his own mind in his head. He decided the man must be really busy because last year all he had was constant suggestions.

It was just after the lesson that Harry received another short letter, delivered by student, inviting him somewhere.

This time, the message was Dumbledore asking Harry to meet him the coming Saturday at 8pm.

Harry stared down at the parchment.

"He likes Acid Pops?" Ron asked, reading over his shoulder.

"It's the password for his office." Harry answered automatically, he was busy going over the possibilities in his head. Would Voldemort want to watch through his eyes? Would that be safe? Dumbledore was an Occlumens, did he know? Was this a trap?

"Harry?" Harry snapped back to reality and looked for the owner of the voice.

It was Hermione and she was watching him closely. "You were staring into space again." She said.

Harry smiled thanks and stowed the parchment away.

He and Ron had a break period now but Hermione had Runes so they went their separate ways. All Ron wanted to do for the beginning of their free period was discuss Dumbledore's letter. Ron had all manner of ideas for what Harry would be learning, Harry simply nodded and commented where appropriate.

It sprang to his mind that he was planning on introducing the teen to life besides Dumbledore but with all the talk of 'kicking death eater butt' Harry thought maybe now wasn't the best time.

Time flew and soon Hermione had returned, the topic hadn't changed much but, with Hermione's presence, homework started being done.

Very quickly the first potions lesson of the year came around. Due to thinking they couldn't take it this year, Harry and Ron were forced to borrow books from the storeroom. Harry was amazed to discover part way through the lesson that his second hand copy had additional instructions that seemed to be better than the printed version. Thanks to these special notes, Harry's potion was good enough that he was instantly Slughorn's favourite new student. Harry was in love. It was like Voldemort when teaching, but in a book.

.

Saturday night came around and Harry found himself making his way to Dumbledore's office. He still hadn't told Voldemort about the meeting, deciding to leave it until afterward in case it really was a trap, but one for him not Harry. Voldemort had already stated he would rescue him so Harry saw no reason to be overly worried for his own safety, not least because, if Dumbledore really wanted to cause harm to him, it would have been stupid to let others know that's where Harry was going.

When he arrived at the office, Dumbledore was waiting. It turned out that he wanted Harry to join him in understanding Voldemort's past so that they could work out how to defeat him.

Harry didn't object. It was a lot better than some of the alternatives that had passed through his mind.

This time, Dumbledore said, they would be taking a trip down Bob Odgen's memory lane. It turned out that the memory they were visiting was that of Voldemort's mother's family on the day the ministry visited a short while before the two Gaunt men were arrested. Harry knew instantly that Voldemort would want to know and see the memory. He also instantly recognised the ring sitting on Marvolo Gaunt's finger. It was currently sitting on a stand in amongst several of Dumbldore's spindly silver instruments.

"Professor?" Harry asked carefully after deciding that even if he hadn't known the origin of the ring he would probably have asked about it. "That ring? Y-you were wearing when you came to pick me up from the muggles. It's the same one from the memory, isn't it?"

Dumbledore eyes flickered down to his blackened hand just briefly before they locked on to Harry's. "It is."

Harry looked away, only half feigning awkwardness. "But how-? Have you always had it?"

"No, I acquired it very recently." Dumbledore said. "A few days before I arrived to pick you up from your Aunt and Uncle's, in fact."

"That would be from around the time you injured your hand?" Harry said, carefully making it sound like a question despite already knowing it was true. He didn't give Dumbledore time to answer before he posed the next question. "Professor, how exactly-?"

"That is for another night, Harry. You will hear the story another time. Goodnight."

"Goodnight sir." Harry said obediently before turning and leaving Dumbledore and his office.

.

As he walked back to Gryffindor tower Harry thought about the lesson. Harry knew he would have to tell Voldemort eventually but he decided, before he did, he was going to get as much information as he could.

.

A few days later, Harry had a surprise visitor waiting for him beside the Quidditch pitch. The pale snake hissed angrily at having to wait in the chilly air and Harry's subsequent unseeing rush past its sheltered spot.

_/Brat!\_/Down here, fool.\

Harry spun around, broom in hand, and stared down at the uncoiling serpent. _/Voldemort?\_

/Who else you insolent wretch? Now pick me up and carry me inside with you. It's freezing and I do not wish to remain here much longer.\

Too stunned to do anything else, Harry picked up the slim form, allowing the dark lord to wrap his snakely-body up and around his arm.

"Is that a snake?" Ron asked as Harry caught up with him.

Harry looked down at Voldemort's nose just poking out under his sleeve. "Uh, yeah. Found him by the pitch. Snake's don't like the cold so I thought I'd bring him in, get him warm. Think he might be a little lost."

Ron simply nodded, swallowing the lie whole.

.

/I've been meaning to ask, how did you get passed the wards this time?\ Harry asked while they were sat by the fire in Gryffindor tower.

If it was possible, Voldemort's snake face was smirking. /Slytherin.\ Was his only answer.

Harry stared until the man-snake said more. /I was unaware that it truly was meant so literally but as long as I mean no, serious, ill will to any student - staff are fine - I may enter as a snake. But only those of Slytherin blood. It seems Salazar was the one to originally design the Hogwarts wards and thought to include a way for himself to return should, as I believe is what really occurred, he be forced to leave without the option of returning.\

Harry took this information in. /Neat.\ Was all he could say.

/I will visit from time to time.\

/I'm surprised you didn't try earlier.\

/Harry, there are more important topics to discuss. Catch up.\

Harry blinked and looked at the snake-man. /Such as?\ He asked.

Voldemort stared for a moment, tongue flicking in and out. /Dumbledore has requested meetings with you.\

/Yes. But you already know that. We talked about it when I was at the Weasleys because he told me he would when he picked me up.\

/Yes, however you neglected to tell me that he had arranged for you to meet him this Saturday.\

/You've been sitting in the back of my mind again, haven't you?\

/Only to see how you are getting on with your new year and workload.\ Voldemort said far too sweetly. /On a related topic, you must put more effort in, you're slacking.\

/No I'm not. I'm exactly where I should be. If I was you or Hermione, then I could be considered slacking, but I'm not so get used to it.\

/The other reason I am here is something altogether more personal and I felt we should discuss it face to face.\ He continued, ignoring Harry. /I would have rathered that it had been my real face to your face but this will have to do. Had Dumbledore not decided to take you sooner than expected I would have discussed this with you during the summer. Perhaps even put it into effect.\

Harry was curious. /Go on...\

Voldemort breathed in deeply before continuing. /That can wait. First, we will deal with whatever it was that Dumbledore wished to talk to you about. You cannot be distracted and I would like to think that my offer would at least have that effect.\

He said no more and Harry knew that, even if he pushed, Voldemort wouldn't be giving up any more information tonight.

Carrying the lax dark lord to a more private location, Harry, following precise instructions from Voldemort, shared his memory of his meeting with Dumbledore with the wizard and then they discussed what it could mean.

.

The days of school passed in a haze. Voldemort came and went several times over the weeks, almost always in his snake form but occasionally, when Harry called for him, via the passageways created by the Room of requirement. Once or twice, Harry even snuck in Sirius and the Weasley twins through the Room.

/Dumbledore wants to talk to me again, do you want to sit in?\Harry asked Voldemort after a few mental prods to get the snake-man's attention.

The pale snake on his pillow looked up and flicked his tongue out. /It may be better to be careful. I will come with you to his office, but I will go separately. We cannot risk him finding us together.\ He said. /If he becomes suspicious, I will leave and view your mind after.\

Harry nodded.

"Do you have to talk with it like that?"

Harry looked up at the boy who spoke. Ron was watching him and the snake Voldemort.

"Sorry Ron, I forgot you don't like it."

"No, it's," Ron backpedalled, "I'm just not comfortable with it."

Harry smiled kindly at his friend.

_/I thought you said you would be hiding anyway.\_

Voldemort flicked his tongue out, tasting the air and stared at Harry. _/I decided a hidden snake was more suspicious than an obvious snake. You can say you found me and are nursing me back to health. I found you out because you are a parselmouth and the snakes around here know that.\_

_/That's going to be the story?\_

_/Yes. Something wrong with it?\ _Voldemort didn't sound happy.

_/No, no, nothing wrong. Just checking.\_

Voldemort glared in suspicion at him until Harry turned away to escape it.

"We've got Charms next, haven't we?" Harry asked Ron. He knew they did but anything was better than being glared at by the dark lord and he knew he wouldn't get a decent conversation from the man for some time. Not until he calmed down. Harry didn't know what it was but something seemed to be upsetting the older wizard, he'd have to get him to talk about it somehow. By a trick, perhaps.

"Yeah, Flitwick's not going light on us either. Hermione reckons we'll be studying, some charm or other." He blushed "I can't remember what she said now. But it doesn't sound like something I'll get first time like her."

.

AN: I'm sorry, a short one again and it just ends rather than getting to a point but I thought it was either post what I had or leave everyone waiting for a lot longer.

Next chapter, Dumbledore goes flying.


	10. Flying Lessons

A New Path

AN: Again, apologies about the last chapter, but here's a new one. And, of course, seasons greetings to everyone reading this.

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CHAPTER 10 - Flying Lessons

.

.

Harry was walking along a random corridor talking to Voldemort when he heard it. Crying. It sounded like it was coming from the bathrooms. Harry looked around, the corridor was empty - part of the reason he was there - but he also recognised where he was.

/Myrtle.\ He hissed at the pale snake coiled around his neck. For the past week Voldemort had remained almost constantly with him. The only times the man left was when his death eaters needed to be given instructions, mainly to stop doing whatever they were doing because they were being idiots. There was a surprising amount of idiots that made it into the death eater ranks.

/Who?\

Harry's grin was wicked. /Someone you should really meet. I'm sure she's missed you.\

/Brat, I can tell you're up to something. You can't hide it from me, you're not that good yet.\

Harry simply grinned further and entered the bathroom.

/You do know that's the girls' bathroom.\ Voldemort commented.

Harry didn't listen.

The room was empty. Harry backed out and headed into the boys' one.

As he walked in the sobbing became clearer. It was getting obvious that this time it wasn't Myrtle crying. Harry peeked into the room proper.

"Draco?"

The boy spun around, surprised at hearing Harry's voice as much as Harry was surprised at seeing him.

"Get out." He snarled, wiping back the tears.

"I-"

"Get out!"

Harry didn't move.

_"I do believe the boy would like us to leave."_ Voldemort commented dryly.

"Draco-" Before Harry could say any more, a transparent figure flew into his face.

"You heard him, Get Out." Myrtle near screamed.

Harry stumbled back a step and stared directly at the ghost. "Myrtle -"

"You never visited. -"

"I was busy"

"- You said you would. -"

"I said I'd try."

"- Well, I've found someone better." She flew over to Draco and threw her arms around him. Draco shivered at the contact.

"Myrtle-"

"Get Out!" Draco yelled, his wand flew up to face Harry. "Cru -!"

"Sectumsempra." Harry said it before his mind could stop to think.

/You stupid boy!\ Voldemort yelled.

As Myrtle flew off screaming about murder in the bathroom, Harry looked at what he had done. The innocent spell he had noted in the margin of the second hand potions book he had decided to keep was, apparently, far from innocent. Draco was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, masses of cuts were strewn all over his body.

Harry watched as the snake-Voldemort slithered off his shoulders and onto the floor becoming the wizard-Voldemort. The man bent down and examined Draco's fallen form. He muttered a spell and the worst of the wounds closed. The dark lord then stood and turned on Harry, taking several angry steps toward him. Harry decided now was as good a time as any to back away to the other side of the room.

It was at that point that Snape stormed in.

His eyes caught the bloody form of Draco lying on the floor, the spell cast instantly recognised.

He glared at Harry.

Harry pointed at the pale snake hissing angrily a few feet away, the last hint of the man it had been seconds before fading as they looked.

Snape paled.

"Detention, Potter." He said with only a little of his usual power.

Harry hesitated. When nothing else was said, he hastily grabbed for the dark lord and rushed out to the safety of Gryffindor tower.

"Harry-?" Hermione began as he rushed passed her.

He sped up to the dorms and threw Voldemort on his bed.

/How dare you?!\ The snake raged.

/Hey! It was that or leave you there for Dumbledore to find!\

That didn't calm the dark lord any, in fact it made him worse. Harry knew then that he was in for a long time of dark-lord-style scolding.

.

Draco spent the night in the hospital wing. Much to Voldemort's disapproval, Harry waited until after dark and then snuck out of the tower, hidden under his invisibility cloak.

_"You should not be using this cloak." _Voldemort complained as they walked. The older wizard had opted to go with him to, as he put it, make sure nothing else happen that could potentially land Harry in Azkaban.

When they reached the hospital wing there was no one to be seen. Madam Pomfrey was notably absent and both the occupied beds were shut in with their curtains.

Harry tiptoed over to the first bed curtain and peeked around the side, not Draco. He continued over to the only other bed in use.

_"I don't sense any wards or warning spells. Go ahead if you must."_

Harry walked into the curtained booth and, after three failed attempts, produced a non-verbal privacy veil around himself and Draco's bed.

Harry removed his cloak to reveal his glamoured self. When Draco opened his eyes, to see what had woken him, it was Voldemort's 'son', the prince, that greeted him.

"Wuh?" He asked groggily.

Harry smiled. "I just wanted to check how you were." Harry whispered, not for fear of being heard but because Draco was still half asleep, probably due to potions.

Draco blinked several times before answering. "I'm, uh, I'll be okay." He said, clearly still confused by his visitor. "You're -? Aren't you?"

Harry chuckled. "We met a few times during the summer." He said. "You're mother kindly allowed me and my father to stay at Malfoy Manor while we are between homes."

/I thought you wanted to tell him who you are and apologise? That's what you kept saying. Whiny baby that you are.\

/Oi! I'm not a whiny baby, I just feel horrid. I didn't mean to hurt him.\

/We discussed this, what does for enemies mean?\

/That it causes hurt to the person you cast it on, yes, okay, I was stupid, let's move on.\

/Why? It's such a good topic. There are so many things we could talk about.\

Draco was staring at Harry, mouth hanging open as if he was going to ask a question but then forgot. Harry turned to him and the teen snapped out of it. "Have you got a snake somewhere?" Draco asked.

Harry frowned and turned his head to see the dark lord that was hanging around his neck. He laughed at himself when he realise the snake man had buried himself into his robes, completely obscuring himself in the dark light. "Yes." Harry answered Draco. "Sort of." _"Do I tell him?" _"It's, my father."

Draco choked.

"Don't worry, he's just making sure I don't cause any more trouble. I'm the one in trouble not you, you're fine."

Draco nodded, unable to speak.

"Um, I, uh, there was something I wanted to talk to you about but, um, maybe later? Now doesn't seem so good anymore. Um, sorry. And, uh, sorry sorry for, uh, I'll explain when you see me next. Just sorry for, well, yeah." Harry rubbed the back of his head while, in his mind, Voldemort let loose a string of complaints about Harry's lack of verbal elegance.

.

"Ah, Harry, come in." Dumbledore called as the teenaged wizard poked his head around the office door. Harry obeyed, heading straight for the chair opposite Dumbledore's desk.

After a close call with one of the portraits in a previous meeting and the total lack of anything besides viewing past events from the pensive and then talking about them, Harry was alone. Voldemort had decided it would be safer for him to view the memories from Harry's mind after and so, from that meeting on, Harry had visited Dumbledore on his own before meeting with Voldemort to share and discuss.

It turned out, as predicted, that this time broke the pattern.

"You've found one? A Horcrux?" Harry asked, putting as much enthusiasm as he could fake into his words.

"I believe I have. Now, as I said, you can come with me but on one condition: that you must obey any command I might give you at once, and without question."

"Of course."

"Be sure to understand me, Harry. I mean you must follow even such orders as 'run', 'hide' or 'go back'. Do I have your word?"

"I- yes, of course."

"If I tell you to hide, you will do so?"

"Yes."

"If I tell you to flee, you will obey?"

"Yes."

"If I tell you to leave me, and safe yourself, you will do as I tell you?"

"I-"

"Harry?"

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Yes, sir."

"Good, now, I won't pretend that the journey we are about to take won't be dangerous."

Harry nodded.

"Go fetch your cloak and meet me in the entrance hall."

"Yes, sir."

Harry ran to the tower, rushing passed Ron and Hermione and grumpy, snake dark lord on his way to the dorms. As Harry passed, Voldemort lifted his head and hissed, the company of only teenaged Gryffindors clearly getting to him.

/Harry? Come back here.\

_"Harry? What are you doing? Stop ignoring me."_

_"Sorry Voldie. Gotta go. Dumbles waiting."_

Harry rushed back passed, cloak in hand, ignoring all comments from both his teen friends and serpentine, father?

Harry reached the entrance hall in record time, keen to be involved in whatever Dumbledore had planned, if only to hinder him and help Voldemort.

"Come, Harry. You can apparate now, I believe?"

Harry nodded then, thinking honesty where possible was the best approach, added. "But I haven't got my license."

"No matter, I shall assist you again. Now, we will travel via Hogsmeade, please put on your cloak."

Harry obeyed and they began to walk. When they reached the village, Dumbledore led them passed the Three Broomsticks and down towards the Hogs Head.

"We will not need to enter." Dumbledore told the still invisible Harry. At the first pub, he had told the waiting Rosmerta he was headed to the second. "Now, we shall apparate. Take my arm."

Again, Harry obeyed silently.

They apparated.

When they reappeared at their destination, Harry was instantly hit by the sudden rush of wind and sea air.

"Where are we?" Harry asked as he looked around.

"Do you not recognise here from the memory I showed you?" Dumbledore asked, leading him down to the sea edge.

Harry did. It was where a pre-Hogwarts Tom Riddle had visited with the orphanage.

"We head down there." Dumbledore said, indicating the cave at the water's edge. "Where a young Voldemort once terrorised those two children."

Harry followed Dumbledore in silence into the cave. Into the second, hidden cave. And across the dark, still lake inside.

They stood, together, at the pedestal.

Harry stared down at the liquid filling the bowl. Dumbledore was studying the fluid and basin carefully.

"It appears that it is designed so that the only way to drain the bowl is by drinking it." He said after a while.

Harry hesitated. It occurred to him that the younger Voldemort wouldn't leave a potion somewhere like this without it being deadly.

"Harry, I must ask you to do something. I must ask you make sure I drink the potion, the whole potion. Even if I beg to stop, you must make me drink it."

Harry stood dazed. What?

"Promise me, Harry. Remember what I said back at school. You must do as I say, without question."

Slowly, Harry nodded.

Dumbledore began to drink.

Chaos ensued.

Fleeing the inferi that he had unintentionally disturbed in the dark water trying to offer Dumbledore a soothing drink, Harry raced out of the cavern, prize from the basin in hand, to the comparative safety of the outer cave. Dumbledore was pretty out of it. Harry winced at the fresh memory of the aged wizard begging him to let him stop drinking. Even though his vision of Dumbledore had been shattered by reality closing on two years ago, it was still painful and hard to see him that way.

Harry realised he would have to take them back to Hogwarts, Dumbledore was in no fit state to take them himself and he couldn't exactly ask Voldemort for help.

.

They arrived at the edge of Hogsmeade, Dumbledore still in a bad way. Harry wondered how long the old wizard had left before whatever the potion he had drunk would take him. Would the blackened-hand-thing take him first?

Dumbledore jerked upright suddenly and Harry was forced to look up to see what had caught the man's attention.

There, in the sky, above Hogwarts, was the dark mark. Harry frowned. Surely Voldemort would have told him if something had happened.

Instantly, Dumbledore was rushing to the school as if nothing had happened to him, as if he was in full health. Harry had no choice but to run after the man, grabbing the broom offered while trying to understand what could have happened.

It was when they reached the astronomy tower that Harry realised. But too late. Dumbledore ordered Harry to remain quiet and invisible. The teen wasn't going to disobey, he didn't know how he felt, he was confused, but he felt the spell Dumbledore placed on his keeping him silent and still. That caused Harry to make his mind up a little. Okay, so maybe Dumbledore _was_ trying to protect him, but he went about it the wrong way. Every time.

Harry watched as Draco appeared, as the death eaters joined him, as Snape simply strolled in and cursed Dumbledore without a second thought. Harry wondered what he was supposed to say about that.

Harry was too busy working out how he should react to realise straight away that he could move again. It took him another few moments to decide that he should, at least for pretence sake, follow the death eaters in a useless attempt to avenge Dumbledore's death.

Harry meandered up to the edge of the tower and stared down. Dumbledore had fallen a long way, but, in Harry's mind, there was something off. There were people crowding around the body, only a few. Others, just noticing, were rushing over. Harry turned and ran. Down through the school and out to the grounds. He caught up with the death eaters quickly, thanks to some marauder's map short cuts.

Before he realised it, Harry found himself mere strides behind Draco and Snape. He thought fast. Harry shot a relatively harmless stunner at Draco, purposely missing. The spell flew passed the boy's ear and he turned around, ready to curse back. Snape stepped in, forced the young Malfoy to follow the others. The thought that it was strange to be on the other side of the fight to Bella and the other death eaters rushed through Harry's mind, barely making a stop before being replaced with a very loud _'duck!'_

Harry ducked. A spell, something yellow that set off the mental warning bells, skipped through the air where Harry had been seconds before. Snape glared to one side, at the caster? He turned back to Harry, Harry raised his wand to fire if needed. Snape sneered and left with the last fleeing death eater.

.

Harry stood watching the people milling around. It was the day of the funeral meaning there was a sea of new witches and wizards filling the Hogwarts grounds.

_/HARRY!\_

Harry winced. _/Yes?\_

Voldemort had been quiet since Dumbldore's death, no doubt dealing with his death eaters. When Harry had returned to Gryffindor tower, the snake man had gone. Hermione and Ron hadn't seen him slip away, they were too busy getting themselves involved in the fight against the death eaters but Neville had. The teen pulled Harry to one side and told him everything that had happened and how the dark lord had left a little after Harry. But it seemed that, now, the silence was over and so the berating would begin.

_/Have you never been told to not go off places with strange people?\_

_/It was _only_ Dumbledore.\_

_/And you can't get much stranger than that.\_

_/What's got you annoyed really?\_

_/The fact that Dumbledore died and I wasn't even there. And that it was painless.\_

_/All reasons to be annoyed but I don't think that's it.\_

_/Nothing went to plan.\_

_/Now we're getting somewhere. Please, continue your perfectionistness.\_

_/Dumbledore had an angle. I know it. I just can't see it. From what I heard he didn't even fight. He was letting the little Malfoy have a easy shot.\_

_/It wasn't Draco.\_

_/What wasn't?\_

_/The person who killed him. I was there, it was Snape.\_

_/I know that, but, before, he was just standing there, letting the boy take his time.\_

_/Too easy?\_

_/Exactly.\_

_/So... what you're saying is you don't think Dumbledore's dead? Or have I got you wrong again?\_

_/That's exactly what I mean. I think. I'm not sure.\_

_/Help me, I think I'm having a heart attack. Voldemort, admitting to being unsure. Oh the shock.\_

_/If you're clutching your chest at this moment in time you must look like a complete fool.\_

_/You know, you're right. I'm getting a huge number of looks. Oh dear, I think Mrs Weasley thinks I'm actually having a heart attack. She's coming over. Hold on a minutes while a field this one.\_

_/I have decided I will make an appearance, if only to see you trying to escape the Prewette's nursing.\_

_/Prewette?\_

_/Prewett female. Study your pureblood families, Potter.\_

.

/So what did he tell you?\

Harry looked down to see a snake sitting in the grass. He smirked and walked to a spot where it was safe to sit.

/He thought we would find a horcrux.\

/Horcrux?\ Harry could tell the snake was a little panicked.

/Don't worry, it was a fake. See.\ He held the locket, that he had removed from the cave and somehow still had, in front of the scaled head.

/That is something to worry about, brat.\ It hissed.

Harry rolled his eyes.

/Where was it found?\

/A cave. By the sea. Probably quite difficult to get to without magic. Oh, and apparently you used to go there as a child. That's what Dumbledore told me anyway.\

The dark lord was glowering in the direction of Harry's thigh. It was clear the snake man was deep in thought, going over every little thing he knew and could remember about the real locket and the cave.

/And we allowed him to see the memory from Slughorn, didn't we?\ Voldemort said once he surfaced again.

/Yes.\ Harry answered. He had been staring at the clouds while the snake was silent.

/Who else knows?\

/I don't know.\ Harry thought for a moment. /I wouldn't be surprised if a few of the order members knew something. Maybe not the bit about there being horcruxes but the other stuff.\

Harry looked down at the snake and saw that Voldemort was glowering again.

/Ron and Hermione know. I think. Hermione probably.\ He continued. /I did my best not to tell them about the horcruxes but it would have seemed strange if I didn't talk about what Dumbledore shared with me when he hadn't said I couldn't, and Hermione can be annoyingly quick to work things out sometimes. Yeah. I'd bet she knows. So Ron's probably got some kind of idea there's something going on.\ He turned to the dark lord. /I won't be able to pretend Dumbles doesn't have a plan for me to those two. They, Hermione, might even know what it is already.\

/Agreed.\ Voldemort answered sullenly. /We will have to wait and see what the old fool has left behind. I suggest you prepare for what will likely be a strange will reading.\

Harry furrowed his brow but Voldemort had already turned and started slithering towards the forest.

"Harry?"

Harry turned around to see Hermione walking towards him, Ron was close behind her.

"How are you, Harry?" She said.

"How you hanging up, mate?" Ron asked.

Harry smiled weakly, pushing the sadness factor to full with just a hint of guilt and a little confusion.

"I'm okay, I think, it's just..."

Hermione put her arm around his shoulders, Ron walking up beside them both.

"I know..." Her voice was tearful and Harry couldn't help but think about how she would react to knowing his own part in Dumbledore's downfall. "Come on, the funeral's over. Let's go back inside." She walked him towards the castle, Ron following close behind.

.

Hogwarts was a very sombre place for the last few days Harry spent there. He knew, now that Dumbledore was dead, he wouldn't be returning. Harry was equal parts sad and happy. Hogwarts had been his first home. Sure, Privet Drive was a house which he lived in for fourteen years, but it was never home. But home was where the heart lived and that was with family. Voldemort. And Sirius. Nagini. ...Bella. Harry would be going home. Leaving Hogwarts to go home. For the first time. Eventually. First he would have to spend a while at the Weasleys'.

Harry left the quiet halls to go finish packing his trunk.

.

_So, Mister dark lord, what's the plan? _Harry scribbled in the notebook he had not had to use for over a year. He was sat in the kitchen of the burrow. Hermione, Ginny and Mrs Weasley were watching him intently, but each of their expressions were different. Harry couldn't quite make out Hermione's but Mrs Weasley's was full of motherly worry and Ginny's significantly more desire-full.

Ever since the incident at the ministry, Ginny had been making her affection known again. The fact that Harry was distinctly less than interested, didn't seem to deter the girl any. In fact, it only seemed to make her jealous. Especially of Luna, for some reason.

Voldemort was silent for far too long.

_"Since when did you need to use the notebook to bug me?"_

_I'm trying to not draw too much attention to myself. I'm being watched. Apparently I stare into space when I talk to you so I'm limiting the staring by writing to you._

_"Well, I'm not going to waste my time and ink."_

_Spoil sport. The plan?_

_"Keep to yourself."_

_Seriously?_

_"Seriously."_

_You do realise, sooner or later someone, probably Ron, is going to raise the topic of that stupid prophecy and my apparent destiny to defeat you?_

_"Your point?"_

_What should I do then? Go with it?_

_"For now. Do not start anything yourself. Use Dumbledore's death and Sirius' 'death' from last year as an excuse for not having thought of anything they say you should have. It should wash, for now. We will deal with whatever comes when it comes."_

_OK. Got it._

Harry looked up to see a another few faces watching him. He glanced at his soon-to-be ployjuiced hands. The Weasleys had arranged for Harry to resemble one of their own, opting to refer to him as a distant cousin at the coming wedding of Bill and Fleur.

Ron entered the kitchen with his twin brothers.

Harry looked up and allowed a small smile reach his face, it wouldn't do to look too happy if he was pretending to mourn, again, but perhaps the month wouldn't be so bad.

.

AN: On to year seven.

.

SPEECH NOTES - Since I have so many different methods of speech in this chapter I thought I'd better put in a little list, just in case. Hopefully it's pretty obvious without it.

"talking" - normal talking

/talking\ - parseltongue

_talking_ - harry or voldie writing in parseltongue for the other to see

_"talking"_ - harry or voldie talking into the other's head

_/talking\_ - harry or voldie talking in parseltongue into the other's head


	11. The Hunt Begins

A New Path

AN: Another big thank you to fangirl-friend2. Their review reminded me that I had forgotten I missed a 'scene' at the end of chapter nine. I had it planned but, because I had so much difficulty writing the rest of it, I put the chapter up before I got to the end. Then I forgot all about it when writing chapter ten. I've decided to add the scene into this chapter as a flashback because I was going to reference it anyway and it's important, in its own way.

On a related note, if anyone else notices a dangling, unfinished storyline thread, please tell me. I do forget things easily.

.

CHAPTER 11 - The Hunt Begins

.

.

The doors to the private study of the dark lord flew open in time with a fast moving blur.

"Voldie!"

Harry pounced on the studying Voldemort.

"How did you get here?" Voldemort asked, genuinely interested and showing no sign of annoyance at Harry's enthusiastic greeting. There had been no sign of Harry's imminent arrival and the dark lord hated not knowing things, but he had been missing the teen's company.

"I got Rodol and Sirius, with the help of the twins, to cause a diversion at the party after the wedding. Naturally, it turned to chaos."

"Naturally."

"I snuck away while all that happened and before Ron and Hermione could tag along. They were expecting me to go, sort of, so it's not too suspicious."

.

"Uh, Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron."

"This put-outer's doing something funny."

.

"We have to talk." Harry said seriously. "About what happened to Dumbledore."

Voldemort turned to face the teen full on. "Go on."

"Um, well, I..." Harry quickly looked somewhere, anywhere, else than at the dark lord's currently friendly face. "It's just, does he have to?"

"Does he have to what?"

"The stuff with the ring, well, it didn't seem real, in a way, and I, with the stuff on the tower, and, I, it's just, I'm..." Puppy-dog eyes were lifted to crimson ones.

"Does he have to die. That's what this is about. It didn't seem real until it was in front of you and inescapable."

It wasn't questions but Harry nodded anyway.

Voldemort looked away.

Harry thought, as he watched the dark lord, that he saw a hint of something distinctly alien on the man. Remorse.

"Perhaps..." Voldemort said after a long silence. "Perhaps... a different approach could be used. I do not think him dead, hiding yes, but not dead. He will, however, still die within a year should I not find him." Voldemort looked Harry in the eye. "I will offer him life."

Harry pinned the dark lord with a calculating stare.

"Not for a price. Just offer it to him." The older wizard continued.

Harry smiled thankfully. Voldemort didn't respond, he simply turned back to his previous task in silence.

.

"Harry!"

Harry, in all but essence, jumped out of his skin. That voice was _not_ supposed to be _here_.

"Hermione?" Harry turned around slowly, trying to locate the teen witch while wondering whether it was a miracle or a curse that he wasn't wearing his glamour and deciding what hex to throw at Sirius for not reminding him to put it back on. But then, walking in on your godfather and old potions professor would make you forget the simple things. That conversation had been Awkward.

"Over here." The hushed voice of Ron called.

Harry internally shrugged, where there was one there was both. He trotted over to his hidden friends. Once he was hidden with them he spoke. "What are you doing here?" He didn't mean to say it, it just came out.

"What are we doing here? What are you doing here? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to sneak in here?"

"'Course he does 'Mione. He snuck in here didn't he? What did you think? The Malfoys invited him in with big hugs?"

Harry fidgeted awkwardly, it almost had happened like that. Minus the big hugs. Except from Cissy.

"Ron, stop being silly." Hermione scolded.

"How did you find me?" Harry asked, deciding it would be best to find out the important stuff first.

Ron grinned. "Remember that thing Dumbledore left me in his will? The put-outer?" Harry nodded so Ron continued. "Well it just lit up and, well, led us here."

"To you." Hermione added.

Harry didn't know what to say to that. Apart from typical Dumbledore, but he couldn't very well say that in front of Ron and Hermione.

"So what are you doing here, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry thought fast. "I thought it would help me find out what I needed to find out if I could keep an eye the death eaters and, um, ..." He trailed off, knowing the excuse sounded lame.

"Living a bit close to the edge, mate. What if you-know-who spotted you?"

"What happened to calling him Vol-"

"No!" Ron clamped a hand over Harry's mouth. After a moment, he took his hand away.

"There's a taboo on his name." Hermione said.

"There is?"

"Yes."

"But what about his followers and, " me, "other people?"

"Think about it, all the death eater call him master or dark lord. It's only the order who dare to call him by his name." Harry nodded.

_"And you insist on calling me Voldie. Plus it doesn't work for parseltongue."_

_"Sometimes I call you Vols." _Harry said sweetly, then added. _"It's for finding Dumbles, isn't it?"_

_"Of course. Mostly. Partly."_

"Harry? Harry?"

"You drifted off again there, mate."

Harry shook his head. "Sorry. Just thinking." Hermione gave him a studying look but Ron smiled happily. "Look, you're right. This is silly. Me being here. You go find a way out, I'll get my stuff from my, hideout and meet you in a bit."

Ron nodded. "You're gonna let us help?" He asked.

Harry plastered a smile onto his face. "Sure. Guess I'll probably need it."

Hermione was still silent. "How'd you get in anyway?" Harry asked.

"Dobby."

Harry's smile was genuine. "Awesome." _"Told you."_

_"No you didn't. Anyway, that part of the manor is Lucius' problem."_

Harry chuckled.

"I know, right?" Ron said, thinking Harry was chuckling at their use of Dobby. "Who knew house elves could go through anti-apparition wards?"

"I did and I told you they could. It's not my fault you don't listen."

Harry grinned at the popular argument brewing. "Come on, we should get out here while it's still quiet." He told the two teens.

"Yeah, right. See you in a minute, mate. Call Dobby when you're ready. He'll bring you to us."

Harry nodded and turned to make off towards his and Voldemort's private quarters.

"There's something he's not telling us." He heard Hermione say to Ron as he raced away from them.

"Come on, Hermione, there's a lot he's not told us. The stuff Dumbledore told him, for a start."

.

"You are leaving."

It was a statement. The man knew it was true so he wasn't asking.

"Yes." Harry answered.

.

_Flashback_

/Are you going to tell me?\

/Tell you what?\

Harry rolled his eyes.

/About whatever it was you wouldn't tell me earlier. An offer that would distract me?\

/Oh that.\

/Yes, that.\

/Not important.\

Harry laughed causing Dean and Seamus to give him strange looks, Neville to chuckle and shake his head and Ron to look at the snake-Voldemort and shiver.

/Yeah right. Is little Voldie-woldie too scared to ask me?\

Voldemort pointlessly tried to narrow his eyes. /You know what I was going to say?\

/Nope. But I've got a pretty good guess. Come on. Try me.\

Voldemort stared at the teen for a moment.

/I was intending to offer to adopt you.\ The snake said simply.

Harry choked.

And fell over.

A few minutes later, after professor McGonagall had retreated, declaring Harry fine, and Ron and Neville were only watching him, with concern, occasionally, Voldemort spoke. /What did you think I was going to say?\

/You want to adopt me?\

/Harry...\

/I thought you just wanted me to move in after school.\

.

"Hey, pup."

"Hi Sirius." Harry raced over to the older wizard.

In the doorway, Voldemort smirked. Sirius caught his eye and returned it.

"You know!" Harry accused Sirius.

"I asked him first." Harry turned to look at Voldemort.

"He thought it best to make sure I wasn't planning to lay claim to you." Sirius added. "I take it you agreed."

"It was most amusing."

Harry glowered. "You have got to let that drop."

"Never. Shall we?" Voldemort led the trio to the room set aside for the ritual. It was a simple thing, the ritual, but, to make it official, and keep it out of public knowledge, a goblin of Gringotts was required.

Harry walked into the room, slightly behind Voldemort, and smiled nervously at the goblin waiting there.

"Lord and heir Black, Lord Riddle." The goblin bowed, sharp teeth on show as he grinned in a shark-like welcome. "My name is Hagtenskloc and I shall be assisting you today in this adoption ritual."

Harry looked at Voldemort. _"_Lord_ Riddle?"_ Voldemort didn't answer.

"Shall we begin?"

The ritual, Harry found, was simply he and Voldemort drinking a pre-prepared potion each while a few words were said, all in view of a preferably related witness, Sirius. Simple. After, there was no flash of light, no profound and godly omen, nothing.

Voldemort gave Sirius a look.

"Come on, pup." The Black lord said, walking out of the room.

Harry left Voldemort and the goblin talking, something about previous rituals and personal links, and followed Sirius.

.

Voldemort was sat in his study, in the dark, beside the fire, nursing a glass of indeterminable alcohol, when Harry found him.

"So, you're my dad now." Harry flung his arms around the dark lord's neck and sat on his lap, head on his chest.

"No."

Harry sat up. "What?!"

"The ritual failed."

"Why would it fail?"

Voldemort looked at him.

"Because the ritual we used is a sort of bonding ritual. It can only work on unbonded individuals. Because, it appears, you are my horcrux."

There was silence.

Then: "So that's Dumbledore's plan!"

_End Flashback_

.

"I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to leave."

Voldemort sighed. "You are my horcrux. You were supposed to be my son. I am supposed to keep you safe." He turned to face Harry fully. "How am I supposed to do that when you're running around all over the place pretending to be my enemy?"

"You are meant to trust I can take care of myself." Harry answered softly.

Voldemort looked away. "I don't know if I can." Harry began to scowl. "Oh, I know you can take care of yourself." He continued without looking 'round. "I just don't know if I can."

Harry didn't speak. He walked up to the dark lord and flung his arms around him.

At first, Voldemort froze, but then, after a fragile moment, he melted into the hug. They stayed there like that until they were interrupted by Nagini complaining about her dinner getting away because it turned out to be an animagus.

.

Harry casually walked around the corner, having totally forgotten he still wasn't wearing his glamour. That was until he saw who was standing there and then it came back to him like a stray boomerang.

"My prince." Rodolphus bowed.

Harry's eyes widened. _"You told them!"_ He screamed mentally.

"YOU!?"

Harry's eyes flicked back to the Malfoys standing opposite. It was Draco who spoke.

"Prince?" Bella asked, her gaze was jumping back and forth between Harry and her husband.

Sirius walked out from behind a statue smirking. "Yes, dear cousin. Prince." He stopped beside the barely still Narcissa. Despite her pureblood training, she was fighting not to laugh at her husband, son and sister's shocked expressions.

Draco, who hadn't known about Sirius, dropped his years of instruction and simply gaped.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag." Harry said awkwardly, hand rubbing the back of his head while he avoided all direct eye contact.

"Prince?" Bella asked again.

"You?" Draco repeated.

Harry nodded for both.

"You cursed me."

Both of Draco's parents turned on Harry suddenly, glares more fierce than anything he had seen before, excluding Voldemort that one time he had walked in on him in the bath. Not alone.

Bella, Rodol and Sirius were glaring too.

"I, um, it wasn't meant. I, um, did try to apologise."

Draco blanched. "I thought I dreamt that."

Cissy turned to her son. "Dreamt what?"

"Um, while I was in the hospital wing. -"

"I went to visit him while wearing my glamour." Harry said for him.

Draco turned on the teen. "Yeah, with the dark lord around your neck!"

"I told you. I was the one in trouble. He was keeping an eye on me. Not you."

Draco raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Really. Besides, he was there when it happened. You do not want to know how angry he was with me. It was scary."

Bella grinned.

"I can imagine." Lucius and Sirius commented in unison. They exchanged looks.

Harry ignored it and turned to Rodolphus. "How did you know it was me? Did Voldie tell you?"

Rodolphus smirked. "You were a little obvious in your lies, my prince. I merely took in what I knew and made an educated guess." He said. "I am glad I was right. It would have been somewhat embarrassing had I been wrong."

Harry laughed. "Definitely. Although I probably would have tried to play along. Might have got me out of being tortured."

Rodolphus conceded him.

"Perhaps we should inform our lord that you are here." Bella offered, coming out of her shock. Harry noted she had dropped calling him by one of her many nicknames for him or brother, it saddened him a little.

"He already knows." Harry said, hiding his feelings.

"Indeed I do."

Harry turned around to see Voldemort striding down the hall behind him. "Are you stalking me?"

Voldemort grinned a predatory grin. "I wanted meet your friends." He said in fake innocence.

"You've already met them."

The dark lord didn't answer but merely continued grinning.

Harry turned away. "Well, I have to go. They're expecting me and I've already taken too long."

"Who are expecting you, my prince?" Cissy asked.

"Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley." Voldemort answered for him causing Harry to slouch sideways and make puppeting gestures with his right hand.

Sirius swallowed his laugh.

Voldemort playfully slapped the back of Harry's head.

"They think Dumbledore's got some plan for me to get rid of this guy." He pointed over his shoulder. "He has, but I don't plan to follow it. The problem is that those two want to help."

"Why don't we just kill them?" Bella asked.

"We aren't killing them."

Harry and Voldemort looked at each other. They had spoken in unison.

"You better be off, Harry." Sirius said, and Harry nodded.

"I don't know when I'll be back or when I'll see any of you next. So, sorry if it's while I'm pretending."

Harry quickly darted into another hall, away from the cluster of magic-folk, before calling for Dobby. The house elf appeared, as happy as ever despite being back at his old family's home. Dobby gripped Harry's arm and, in a pop, they were standing in a forest beside a tent.

"Harry."

"You took your time."

"Sorrys Miss Hermiones. Harry Potter was verys close to Malfoys when Dobby founds him."

Hermione nodded. "Alright. That'd explain it."

"Trust you to almost get caught." Ron teased.

Harry grinned.

.

"So, what have you got so far?" Ron asked as they sat around the tent's kitchen table.

Harry blushed. "Um... not much really." He said sheepishly. The truth was he knew all about Voldemort's horcruxes. It had taken several weeks of pranks, masses of adorability and a fair pinch of sneakiness, but eventually the dark lord had decided Harry would need to know the basics if he was to stall Dumbledore's plan. Of course, basics quickly turned to most of everything, but that was beside the point. "Vol- you-know-who didn't talk about them and the death eaters clearly know nothing."

"I thought as much." Hermione said.

"That would have been too easy." Ron agreed.

"I guess you already know what I was listening for, don't you?" Harry asked.

"Horcruxes." Ron said with a wide grin. "Hermione worked it out."

"Why didn't you tell us?" The girl asked.

Harry hesitated. What to say? "I didn't want you to know because then you'd try to help me and it's not exactly going to be a safe journey."

Hermione shook her head, amused.

"Don't be an idiot, mate, we were going help no matter what. You couldn't stop us."

"Thanks." Harry said, not sure whether he meant it.

"I've been studying that locket you came back with on the night Dumbledore died." Hermione said.

"He's not dead. Wait! What?"

"I, um, borrowed it when you were asleep and showed Hermione." Ron told him guiltily. "Wait. What do you mean 'he's not dead'?"

"He means Dumbledore's not dead." Hermione pushed in. "Now, the initials on the letter were RAB and I looked into who that could be but it wasn't until Ron and I went to Grimmauld Place that I discovered someone who made sense." Hermione stopped because Ron was staring at her with his mouth open. "What is it Ron?"

"Dumbledore's not dead?"

Harry shook his head.

"Seriously, Ron, you must think more. If even Harry noticed, you must have had an inkling?"

"Hey!"

"Sorry Harry, I didn't mean it like that."

"What made you realise? I mean, I think it. I don't know for certain but, well..." Harry asked.

"It was at the funeral. And of course some of the eye witness accounts make for an interesting read."

"Well no wonder I didn't notice!" Ron burst out. "Did you really expect me to read to find out?" He demanded from Hermione.

Hermione laughed and shook her head again. "No Ron. I expected you to think. There was more than just what people said to the aurors. It was what people said to one another, how it all happened, -"

"There was something, just, off."

"Yes, thank you Harry. You didn't have to read Ron. _Really_."

"About the locket?" Harry asked. Voldemort had instructed Harry to actually allow and help the teens to search for the locket because, thanks to some unknown person, it was no longer where he thought it should have been. Immediately after Harry had informed Voldemort of the fake locket, the dark lord had checked on all his other horcruxes. All safe and where he left them, apart from the diary which Harry was amazed he still hadn't suffered any punishment for.

"Right, yes. We were at Grimmauld because it seemed like a good place to stay. We're set up there now but because you were in Malfoy Manor we, I set up the tent here."

"We didn't know how to get in at first." Ron added.

"Well, RAB is Sirius' brother, Regulus."

_"That boy is dead. ...If he's not already."_

_"I heard you killed him."_

_"I remember who I kill, Imi."_

_"Imi?"_

_"I'm testing new nicknames for you since you're so fond of using them on everyone else."_

_"Keep trying."_

"Sirius' brother?" Harry asked in an attempt to pretend his moment of silence was from the surprise.

"Yes."

"So do you know where it is? What did he do with it?"

Hermione grimaced.

"It's gone, mate. Kreacher threw a fit when we tried to ask him. Said something about thieves and... you know the rest, but, yeah, thieves. We think it was at the house and then Mundungus stole it or something."

Hermione nodded.

"Have you talked to Mundungus?"

_"On to it."_

_"Not you."_

"We haven't found him yet to try."

Harry nodded and fell into thought.

_"He says that foul witch called Umbridge confiscated it."_

_"What? How? Stop that! How am I supposed to tell them I know that when I didn't know the bit before."_

_"You'll think of something."_

"Um, there's, uh..."

_"Is Mundungus okay?"_ Harry quickly asked Voldemort.

_"He's fine. All I did was say hi and he beat himself up for me. I've never known someone so capable of running into multiple walls in under one second without being cursed."_

"I've, uh, Vo- you-know-who has, Umbridge's got it."

"What?" Ron and Hermione asked together.

"I just saw it. Think Mundungus might need new pants but, um, he told, Him that Umbridge took it."

"So, He's looking for it too?" Hermione asked.

"Guess so." Harry answered apologetically. "I guess he knows that one's not safe or something."

"We better get a move on then."

.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hermione?" Harry asked as the trio walked through the crowds entering the ministry.

Voldemort, as the light expected, had named Harry, and, by extension, Ron and Hermione, as undesirable number 1. They were currently polyjuiced to resemble three randomly picked ministry workers who were, at this moment, unconscious and hidden somewhere without their clothes and, if Hermione was right, soon to be feeling very ill.

It wasn't long before they got separated. As Ron went to sort out the job his disguise was being bullied into dealing with, and Hermione was grabbed by Umbridge herself to join her at work, Harry travelled to the witch's office.

As he stepped off of the elevator, Harry almost hit himself. Umbridge had been wearing the locket. He turned around and travelled down to where he knew Umbridge had taken Hermione.

The pink-loving witch was leading the trials against muggleborns. Her most popular verdict was to claim the muggleborns must have stolen their magic, something that seemed to make even Voldemort a little sick of pureblood-supremacy.

Unable to stealthily take the locket from the witch, since they had discovered she wore it constantly, Harry and Hermione were forced to play along and wait through the next trial.

That was when Harry's 'hero complex' kicked up a fuss.

The locket snatched, the muggleborn saved, Umbridge hexed and the ministry in uproar, Hermione and Harry fled. Ron met them in main hall, his disguise already falling.

Harry spotted Voldemort on the other side of the hall.

There were Death eaters streaming towards the trio now.

Across the crowd, Voldemort smirked.

Harry waved the locket in front of him with a superior smirk of his own.

Voldemort scowled.

"Harry! Come on!" Hermione was pulling him towards the exit.

Death eaters and ministry guards were piling in on them from all sides. Ron had already gone through, Harry was the last. He watched Hermione disappear and then followed her through.

The second they were all in muggle London, the trio apparated. As Harry disappeared he felt a hand grab the back of his clothes.

They landed back in Grimmauld Place in a heap. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Avery.

Harry was the first to get to his feet. Followed soon after by the death eater. Avery reached for his wand. Ron tripped him. The death eater rolled, his hand landing on his fallen wand. Hermione smashed a heavy looking book on his head. Avery fell still.

The three teens stood around the unconscious death eater panting from exertion.

"We're going - to have to - leave." Hermione said after what seemed like several long moments but was probably only a very short time.

"Tent?" Harry panted.

"Tent." She agreed.

Tying Avery up with a quick spell, Harry and Hermione walked towards the door to go pack. Ron didn't move from beside the fallen death eater.

"There's something that's been nagging me since you told me about Dumbledore." He said slowly. Harry and Hermione stopped in their tracks and looked back to him. "If Dumbledore's not dead then who's in his grave?"

.

AN: This took a little longer than expected because, at the last minute, I got a spot of writer's block. Please consider reviewing to tell me what you think.

Happy new year.


	12. Saving the Snake

A New Path

AN: A spot of writer's block again, that's my excuse, again. I don't particularly like this chapter. I had trouble writing it and it hasn't covered much of what I wanted it to but I've put it up because I can't make it any better. The funny thing about this chapter is that it was pretty much written backwards. I had a basic plan to follow but every time I wrote something I ended up needing to add something before it. I hope you find the result enjoyable.

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CHAPTER 12 - Saving the Snake

.

.

"If Dumbledore's not dead, then who's in his grave?"

Harry and Hermione stared at Ron.

"Good question."

"Not got a clue."

Harry waited but, for once, Voldemort didn't comment. The only reason Harry could think of was that the man wasn't paying him any attention at the moment. That usually only happened when he was particularly annoyed. Not good.

"We can focus on that another time." Hermione said firmly. "We have to move. There's a death eater in the house and, whether Dumbledore's really dead or not, the fidelius doesn't work properly anymore." She grabbed Ron's wrist and pulled him away from the unconscious death eater on the floor. "Come on."

Harry and Ron followed Hermione out to their rooms. They packed their bags quickly and fled, leaving the house without stopping to clear up any of the mess their living there had caused.

.

"So what's the next thing on the kicking-you-know-who's-butt list?"

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

"What?"

They were sat at the tent's kitchen table again, each with a warm drink.

"Finding a way to destroy the locket." Harry answered distractedly.

"Can't we just smash it?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, Ron, we can't. It wouldn't work. Horcruxes can only be destroyed by certain things like fiendfyre which is practically impossible to control."

Ron's head dropped.

"We also have to work out what his other horcruxes are?" Hermione added after a moment. Harry hid his frown behind his mug. "Dumbledore thought there were seven, didn't he?" She asked, turning to Harry.

He stumbled, surprised. "Uh, yeah. How did you know that?"

Hermione blushed. "I may have tried summoning everything Dumbledore had about horcruxes, after he 'died', before we left school." She admitted shyly.

"So you've seen the memories?"

She nodded. "Yes."

_"If she shares what she saw with anyone, I will curse her."_

_"Oh, so you're back again. Thought you were ignoring me."_

_"This conversation has too much risk for me to leave you to your own devices. Why does she know so much?"_

_"She's Hermione."_

_"Is that really an excuse?"_

_"Yes. Don't you remember from when you were at Hogwarts with me?"_

_"... I see your point. Carry on."_

"Harry?"

"Sorry, drifted off there again."

"We noticed, mate."

"It's just why would he want you to be able to?"

"Why, what?"

_"Why would who want what?"_

"Dumbledore. Why would he want you to be able to find all that? Surely if he's not dead then the protective spells would still work. Shouldn't they work anyway? And don't tell me he wouldn't put spells like that on them. He would. If he hadn't, what would have stopped Vol- sorry you-know-who -" _"Did you just laugh?"_

_"No."_

"- from simply summoning them years ago? Nothing. So why did he let you?"

"Because he wants us to find the horcruxes so we can kill you-know-know." Ron said with a shrug.

_"I don't like him."_

"Then why didn't he show you them when he was alive?"

"But you said he's not dead?"

"You know what I mean, Ron."

"Harry," Hermione said slowly. "I think you're overthinking this. He probably just didn't want you running off looking for them before you were ready. I can't explain his thinking now, but, if we pretend he really is dead, he would want you to know everything he knew so that you would have the best chance of success."

_"Stop scoffing in my head, Voldie, it's weird."_

"I'm going to bed." Harry stated, leaving the table and the teens sat at it.

_"Grumpy today, aren't you."_

_"Shush you. I'm trying to get them to leave."_

_"Why not just tell them to?"_

_"Because, with Ron, that will just make him stay more. Unless the timing's right."_

_"You mean after a fight?"_

_"Yep."_

_"You're trying to start a fight just to get rid of him?"_

_"Got a better plan?"_

There was a pause.

_"No." _Voldemort admitted reluctantly. _"What about the Granger girl?"_

_"I'm still working that one out. Luck?"_

_"You always had too much of that, so maybe."_

.

Many days and then weeks passed without any success in finding a way to destroy the locket. Harry was thankful that they weren't actually trying anything, only searching, because he didn't know how he would explain it to Voldemort. That was why, while it was his turn to carry it, Harry switched the horcrux locket with a fake. The fake locket looked exactly the same, thanks to several spells, but it didn't act the same. There was no magic coming off it.

"Harry, it's my turn to take it now."

Harry nervously handed the locket to Hermione and waited for a comment. He was confused when she didn't say a thing. Perhaps she didn't notice?

_"How's Nagini?"_

_"Are you missing her, Harry?"_

_"Yes, but I was also thinking about this horcrux hunt. She's your horcrux. Dumbledore knows it. How about we stage an accident and then she goes into hiding until it's all sorted out."_

_"Until what is sorted out?"_

_"Um... the war?"_

_"Potter. Explain yourself."_

_"Um, I, uh, may have, uh, been hoping you would, um, think about not, uh..."_

_"My dear Imi, are you trying to change me?"_

_"No?"_

_"You sure?"_

_"No?"_

_"What was that an answer to?"_

_"Um, both?"_

_"You're a pest."_

_"I take that as a compliment."_

_"When we meet next, you are to give me the locket."_

_"Okay."_

_"I don't trust your mental capacity to protect my soul."_

_"Nice. Thought I was part of your soul."_

_"You are and that's worrying enough."_

_"Well me and locket are gonna take a vote."_

_"Really? You want to wake up my soul piece? From what I hear you didn't exactly have a very good time with the last one."_

_"A good point. Maybe I won't."_

_"You're going to give me the locket when we meet next. I will tell you where to meet me."_

_"You didn't answer my question."_

_"What question?"_

_"Fake an accident?"_

_"I will talk to Nagini. The fact that you would think of attacking her worries me."_

_"I wasn't going to attack her. She thinks she's my mother."_

_"She does? No, it worries me because it means Dumbledore or one of your friends may consider the same."_

_"Oh... and yeah, Nagini keeps calling me her hatchling and other weird mumsy names."_

_"That is a little weird."_

_"Not if you look at how she sees you and then add to that that I'm practically your son now. ...Wow that feels weird to say."_

_"I think I shall be needing to have a word with my familiar."_

_"You do that."_

Harry switched back to reality. He watched Ron, then Hermione and then, when they met up, both of them. Hermione was calm, taking Harry's strange behaviour in her stride. Ron, on the hand, was ready to blow. It was clear that the conversation Ron had started with Hermione was about Harry and how annoyed Ron was with him.

Harry sat silently watching. Soon, he was sure, Ron would leave. Harry felt cruel but at the same time knew that he was being a better friend by making him go.

_"You're an idiot."_

_"What'd I do now?"_

_"You just are."_

.

"I don't care! He just wants the glory for himself." Ron's voice was climbing. He had been talking to Hermione, again, about Harry but it seemed, now, that it would become an argument.

"The glory for myself?! Yeah sure, I wanted all this. I begged to be the special one who had to risk everything for people who couldn't even be bothered to get off their own a-"

"Harry!"

"Well, it's true Hermione. It's always me. Why me?"

"Because you're a fame seeking bighead!" Ron yelled. "Do you have any idea how it is for us being in your shadow for everything?"

"If it's so bad then why did you hang around?"

"Because I thought we were friends. But I guess I was wrong. Seems you only want people around to make you look good."

Harry felt his angry rising despite his, admittedly poor, occulmency training. "Well, if you feel like that, we don't want you here! Do we, Hermione?"

Harry looked at the girl for reinforcement. Hermione put her hands up and took a step backwards, away from the fight.

"Fine! I'll go then! See if I care!" Ron yelled back.

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"Fine."

"I will then."

"Good. See if I care."

"I just said that."

"So what?"

"Shut up."

"Get lost."

"Harry, Ron, -"

"Keep out of this, Hermione."

"Yeah, Hermione. This between me and him."

_"This is amusing."_

_"Be quiet, you're distracting me from my witty retorts."_

_"What witty retorts? I haven't heard any yet."_

_"Like I said, you're distracting me."_

_"Don't use me as an excuse for your lack of wit."_

"Are you laughing at me?!"

No. "Yes. You're pathetic."

_"Ouch."_

_"Shush."_

"Harry..." Hermione pleaded.

"No, he is. Go away Ron. We won't miss you."

Ron looked tearful and Harry instantly wanted to apologise.

"Fine." The boy turned and left without another word.

"Ron..." Hermione called but he ignored her. She turned to Harry. "Harry..."

Harry shook his head, a tear at the corner of his eye. "It was his choice."

_"No it wasn't."_

Hermione didn't speak so neither did Harry.

.

"Why did we come to Godric's Hollow again?" Hermione asked. It was clear she was trying to get a point across without actually saying it, but, what that point was, Harry didn't know. It had been only a few days ago that Ron had left. They hadn't talked about it, or him.

To try and scare you off. "Because I want to say goodbye to my parents." But that's true too. "I've never been to their graves before."

Hermione smiled softly. "I understand."

Harry hesitated. He had the strangest feeling that she really did, in a way, even the parts he hadn't told her.

"Um, Hermione?"

"Yes Harry?"

"Why do you stay with me? I know I've not been very good company, so I was wondering why you're still here. Why haven't you left, like Ron?"

Hermione pulled Harry closer to her side as they walked towards the cemetery. "Because you were my first real friend at Hogwarts. I'll stand by you whatever." Then she hugged him.

Harry didn't know what to say so instead he hugged her back, then walked across the boundary and into the cemetery.

It didn't taken them long to find his parents' graves. Harry knelt down and brushed at the stones with his hands. He hadn't thought to bring flowers or anything, which he only remembered, now, was the norm.

Hermione knelt down beside him. She was wearing the fake locket, Harry, the real one. As he thought about the horcrux around his neck, Harry felt it pulse. He glanced down and let his magic prod the magic around it. Rodolphus had taught Harry how to get a read of other people's magic that way. He wasn't very good but he was good enough. What he felt was strange, it was almost like the locket was talking to someone else, but not Harry or Hermione. He shivered and put it out of his mind.

_"Meet me at the house."_

Harry stood up. _"Voldemort?"_

_"Nagini is waiting. Bring the locket. The real one."_

Beside him, Hermione stayed knelt. Harry turned to her, about to speak.

_"Behind you."_

He spun around. Hermione looked up at Harry then turned the way he was staring. A distant figure was waiting at the edge of the cemetery.

"Is she watching us?"

"Yes." Harry told her. "Come on." He walked between the graves towards the old woman waiting. Hermione followed warily.

"Harry?"

Harry continued on.

The woman led them to a house. Harry followed her in, Hermione close behind.

Once they were inside, the woman pointed at Harry, indicating she wanted just him to follow her.

Harry turned to Hermione. "Wait here." He said. Hermione looked ready to argue but stopped when she saw Harry's serious expression.

Harry followed the old woman up the stairs while Hermione flicked through the books on the coffee table.

/Is Voldie here?\ He asked once they were out of ear shot.

Nagini laughed, opening a door and indicating for Harry to go through.

/Do I want to know what happened to the witch whose body your using?\

Nagini turned to him with a strange grin. Around her, the body of the old witch fell to the floor, leaving only the large snake staring at Harry.

"I promise you. She was already dead when we arrived."

Harry spun around.

"Really?"

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "Really."

"Why do you look like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like a normal person."

"So I'm not normal normally?"

"No. Never. It's weird. Switch back."

Voldemort gazed at his glamoured self in a dusty mirror resting against a shelf.

"No."

Harry scowled.

"Stop scowling. I didn't want to bring attention to myself. ...And I'm testing it out. To see if I can handle it."

"Why?"

"You'll have to get used to it too."

"Again, why?"

"Because I was thinking I might try a different approach to the problem that is the British magical world."

Harry looked at the disguised dark lord sceptically.

"And that would be...?"

"You will see."

"You are annoying."

"I take that as a compliment. Especially coming from you."

"Are you saying I'm annoying?"

"Extremely. And often."

"Hey!"

"You started it."

"Now you're just sounding childish."

"That would probably be because I seem to be talking to a child. You should grow up and act your age."

"Nah, young forever, kid at heart."

"I feel for your poor wife."

"Wife? Please tell me you haven't been arranging marriages for me or something. I will hate you for life if you have."

"That is worse than having orphaned you? Of course I haven't. I was referring to the future." Voldemort shook his head. "I regret this conversation already."

"You started it."

"Now who's being childish?"

"I'm seventeen. I can get away with it."

"But you're also heir Black, Slytherin and Riddle and should be Lord Potter."

"I am?"

"Harry. At some point, please go to Gringotts. You're self-imposed ignorance offends me."

"Hey!" Harry took a step towards Voldemort and began poking his glamour. "How real is this anyway. Take it off. I don't like it."

"I'm not taking it off. Get used to it."

"No!"

"Yes."

Harry narrowed his eyes.

And then he pounced. He didn't know what he was searching for but his first guess was some kind of serpent shaped pendant like his own.

Voldemort tried to pull Harry off but it wasn't working so he tried for his wand. Harry pulled it out of reach with a triumphant flourish.

As they scraped, Nagini hissed something about crazy humans and slithered from the room in search of rodents.

The scuffle continued, wands out of reach half way across the room. Voldemort grabbed Harry by the hair so Harry returned the favour. Apparently Voldemort had put a lot of effort into making his appearance as real as possible because, as Harry got a hold of a clump of his new black locks, the dark lord let out a sound of painful surprise.

Suddenly an arm was around Harry's neck, another across his midriff. Harry's grip on Voldemort loosened but he didn't let go. He began wriggling, trying to free himself from the approaching headlock.

The door creaked and the two wizards looked up.

Harry froze mid-wriggle.

"I'll come back later."

Voldemort's arm loosened and Harry slithered free. "Hermione." He called. The girl re-entered the room, totally calm. "How- how long have you known?"

Hermione glanced at Voldemort, his glamour having taken a battering by Harry's attack, and blushed, quickly looking at the floor. "A while."

"How long is a while, girl?"

Hermione looked up at the currently ice blue eyes. "Am I right in saying you're you-vo-the dark lord?"

Voldemort smirked.

"He is. Please don't give him a reason to go all egotistical on us." Harry said.

Hermione giggled, realised who she was in front of and then cowered.

"I won't hurt you, girl. Harry seems to like you. Even if he does complain that you're too smart."

Hermione looked at Harry.

"I don't." He pleaded.

"He does. I think it's because he's jealous." Hermione giggled again. "I should thank you for pushing him to do his homework. Merlin knows I have enough trouble on my own." She laughed again, this time more confident and relaxed.

"Okay, you, off." Harry said, turning to face Voldemort. "Me and Hermione, talk alone, you go. Scooch, vamoosh, off you go, ta ta." Each phrase was punctuated with a playful shove towards the door.

"I shall see again, young Granger." Voldemort said, swatting Harry's head. "It seems Harry wants you to himself."

"Out!"

Voldemort left laughing, Nagini joining him on the stairs. Harry turned back to Hermione. The girl could barely contain her amusement.

"I'm sorry, Harry. That was just so, you two are good together. Has he adopted you yet?"

Harry's mouth dropped open. "You even know about that?! Seriously, why didn't you say anything before? And no, yes, kinda of, it didn't work."

Hermione smiled. "I wanted to make sure I was right before I said something. But more than that, I was waiting for _you_ to tell _me_."

"I was going to. But every time I thought about it something came up that made me think it was a bad idea."

"Like something Ron said?"

Harry nodded. "Probably always something Ron said. You've always been more grey than light, haven't you? Really."

"I guess. I just wanted to fit in so I did my best to be helpful and be like you and Ron, but it's in my nature to want to know facts and a lot of what we knew about dark and light magic was opinion. I admit, I did get a bit star-struck sometimes and stuck on an idea, so sorry."

"You always meant right by me though."

"I did, do."

Harry, letting his inner child out again, pulled Hermione into a hug.

"Don't think this is it, though." She said as he let go. "I still have questions you're going to answer."

Harry nodded.

"So why here?" Hermione asked, indicating the house.

"He didn't say."

"You didn't ask?"

"Um," Harry looked away guiltily. "I may have started what you walked in on."

_"Ms Bagshot was responsible for delivering information on Dumbledore to Ms Skeeter and, occasionally, myself. Nagini was keeping an eye out for new information and informing if or when Skeeter or Dumbledore made contact."_

"Nagini was keeping tabs on the Dumbles-info-flow."

Hermione frowned.

"He just told me." Harry pointed at his head.

"I thought there was something like that. Every time you started staring into space it was almost like you were talking to someone. You would react to things sometimes. I think Ron and a few of the order thought you were losing it to be honest."

"Ron thinks I'm nuts." Harry repeated. "Yeah, that's new."

"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it- oh!" Hermione's hands flew to her mouth.

"What is it?"

_"Dumbledore's de-lighter contraption."_

"De-lighter-whatsit?"

"You said that out loud."

Harry looked at Hermione, confused for a second. "Oh, oops." He said when he realised what she meant.

_"Idiot."_

"The put-outer. It led us to you. Would it lead Ron to us?"

_"I believe that was the point."_

"Vols says that's the point."

Hermione nodded and watched Harry expectantly.

_"I -"_

"I -"

_"- did -"_

"- did -"

_"- some -"_

"- some -"

_"- research -"_

"- resea-"

_"Stop repeating me after every word!"_

There was a pause.

_"I believe it responds to names. If the Weasley wishes to find you he will be able to when you talk about him."_

Harry waited, Hermione gave him a look that asked what was said.

"Ron can find us if we talk about him." He repeated.

She nodded. "That makes sense. You talked about us and it lit up."

"And we just talked about Ron. Quite a lot."

"We need to move away from here."

"Why? Voldie's gone and there's nothing to stop us having a look around. Let Ron find us. He has some explaining to do."

Hermione shrugged rather than argue and left the room, walking back downstairs to the living room.

"Do you still have the locket?" She asked Harry as they walked together.

Harry froze. "Oops."

_"I repeat. Idiot."_

_"You forgot too."_

_"Yes, but it was your faultthat I forgot."_

"What did he say?" Hermione asked.

"He says I'm an idiot." Harry answered, starting walking again.

"Nothing out of the ordinary there."

"He's gone quiet now, I think you just insulted him."

"I didn't mean him, I meant you."

"Good save, don't want to upset the nasty dark lord Voldemort. He might hunt you down and feed you to Nagini." Harry laughed. He opened the front door and walked out.

"Harry." Hermione said, following him.

"What?"

"You just said his name?"

"I did?" Harry asked.

"You did." Someone else answered.

They turned to see the face that the voice belonged to. It turned out to be one of several snatchers, all vying to be the one to take the prize, Harry, to their lord, Voldemort.

"Ah, sh-"

"Harry!"

"Seriously? Even now?"

_"And you can stop laughing."_

_"You'll be fine. They're bringing you to me, aren't they?"_

.

AN: I had said there would be a scene where Harry explains himself to Hermione. That will be in the next chapter now.


	13. From Hogsmeade to Hogwarts

A New Path

CHAPTER 13 - From Hogsmeade to Hogwarts

.

.

"Why isn't he scared?" Snatcher one asked snatcher two.

"I don't know but it's creeping me out a little."

"Will you two be quiet?" A third snatcher barked. "It doesn't matter. We take them to a death eater, who summons the dark lord, and then we get our reward. Who cares why 'e's not messing his pants."

Harry glanced at Hermione the best he could while being manhandled.

"Which death eater we trying this time?" Snatcher two asked.

"Malfoy."

Harry laughed. After a moment of surprise, Hermione joined him. The snatchers looked at each other worried.

.

"I'll take them from here." Lucius told the snatchers in a lofty fashion.

"Nah right. We'll stay with them. Not having you Malfoys taking all the credit."

Lucius grimaced. "They will be placed in the dungeon." He stated. "Would you, gentlemen follow me." He said the word gentlemen with great hesitation.

Harry and Hermione were taken to their cell. What Malfoy did with the snatchers, Harry had no idea, but he was certain they wouldn't be getting the reward they thought they were due, even if Harry had still been on the opposite side to Voldemort.

.

Harry sat in the dungeon of Malfoy Manor, knees to his chest. Hermione was watching him. So were Luna and a familiar-looking goblin.

"Are you going to start or do I have to question it out of you?" Hermione asked the silence.

Harry looked up at her. He opened his mouth to speak but then hesitated.

"Any time you like." The girl continued.

Harry breathed in and then let it out. "Okay... where to start..."

"How about at the beginning?"

Harry and Hermione turned to look at Luna who had edged closer and was listening politely.

"Um, alright." Harry said, carefully. "I guess that would be two years back when Voldie came to Privet Drive then."

"He what?" Hermione practically choked.

"Yep." Luna nodded.

Hermione glanced at the blonde girl, Luna smiling sweetly all the while.

Harry glanced at the goblin, he knew he knew him from somewhere but couldn't quite place the name to face. "Yeah, he did." He said, turning back to the two witches. "I think he threw a stone at my window too." He added with a bemused smirk.

Luna laughed, so did the goblin, but Hermione just looked at Harry gobsmacked. "He threw a stone at your window?" She repeated. Harry nodded. "Volde- you-know-who?"

"Yeah."

"You're not joking?"

Harry laughed. "Not a joke. Ask him if you like."

"I might." Hermione paused. "Maybe not."

Harry went on to recap his first few weeks with the dark lord and the events of the following two years. He left out some of the details, like the exact names of those he had talked over and a few of his less proud moments, but he covered as much as he could in detail.

"So, Mr Riddle has been popping into Hogwarts to see you?" Luna asked, the choice of name making the other three inhabitants of the cell tense slightly, but Luna didn't seem to notice. "That's nice."

"I've been curious," the goblin, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke, "this wizard. He murdered your parents, is the cause of your atrocious upbringing, and yet you choose to live with him, become his son even, move from the light to the dark. Why is that?"

Harry tried not to stare. "H... Hagten?

"-skloc. Hagtenskloc. But I'm flattered that you remember."

"I'll answer yours if you answered me this, why in the world are you down here? Surely Voldie didn't lock you up? If he did, I'm gonna have a word or two to say to him about it."

The goblin grinned. "I remind you that you are here yourself**, **hm." The goblin raised an eyebrow challengingly.

Harry batted the suggestion away. "That's different. Death eaters being idiots."

"Harry, that was you."

"Ouch, Hermione."

"Again, that came out wrong. We're here because you said his name without thinking."

"True, but we're at Malfoy Manor and the Malfoys know who I am. Even without the glamour."

"What glamour?"

"Oh? Did I forget that bit? I have a glamour. It makes me look a bit more like him. I think you'll like it. Anyway, they should know better." Harry turned his attention back to Hagtenskloc. "So, how about you?"

"Quite similar actually. I arrived here on genuine business."

"The faulty ritual?"

"Quite, and for some reason the family residing here saw fit to incarcerate me." Harry nodded understandingly. "And now you?"

"Huh?"

"My question?"

"Oh, yes. Um, well, I haven't. Become dark. Yes he murdered my parents but he wasn't the reason why I grew up the way I did. That was all the doing of other people. I had better places I could live, I just wasn't allowed to. You know, Dumbledore never checked up on me once. Apparently he was meant to. He had a squib watching me, he must have known, but he did nothing, stopped others from doing things to help. So yeah, not Voldie, Dumbledore." Harry took a breath to calm himself. "And I believe Voldie when he says that he's sorry about my parents. He says he was unstable and that under his normal mind he would never have sought me out. I believe him because I've seen both sides of him. The outright nutter and the mostly sane but sometimes a little wobbly guy."

"And he saved you." Hermione added softly.

"That's why I went with him at first." Harry agreed. "But after a little while I saw an opportunity. He's not a bad guy really. Just bad choices from bad options. Dumbledore didn't like him." Harry turned directly to Hermione. "You saw the memories. Dumbledore was biased from the start."

"He was." Hermione agreed, nodding. Her eyes took in the faces of the other two in the cell.

"You asked me why I've gone from light to dark. I haven't. I admit, I'm not light, not anymore, not after I've seen from the other side. But I'm not dark either. I never will be. The opportunity I saw was to push Voldie away from the dark, or at least the darkest parts of the dark. He won't ever be light either but I think maybe I can make him at least somewhere near grey. And that's what this world needs. Someone in charge who can be neutral."

"And you think that someone should be him?"

"I don't know, maybe. I doubt anyone could ever manage it with Dumbledore. I think he's a lost cause, too light icon orientated and power hungry to boot, though he won't admit it. Voldie, though... maybe.

"So, yeah. That's why I stayed. But it's not the only reason I'm staying now. I love him. I really do. I didn't at first, and I would never have expected to either, but I realised recently that I do. He's become the father I never had. Yes, you don't need to say it, I know he's the reason I lost my real father, but I never had a father figure before and _that_'s not his fault."

_"That was really sweet Harry."_

"Merlin! Not again! He's listening."

_"Why do you always listen at the most embarrassing moments?"_

_"I- you too."_

Harry smiled in a way that resembled Luna.

"He said it back?" Hermione asked.

"Kinda." Harry answered dreamily.

Luna curled up onto Harry's side.

_"On an unrelated note, when are you going to ask that girl out? We both know how much you like her."_

_"I am so glad no one else can hear you right now." _Harry answered, cheeks red. He glanced down at the blonde against his side. _"Soon."_

.

The door opened to reveal Bella and another death eater. The second death eater looked familiar to Harry despite them having never met and Harry realised he must be Rabastan, Rodol's brother.

"Those two." Bella order, pointing at Harry and Hermione.

Rabastan strode in and pulled the two to their feet.

Harry gave Luna and Hagtenskloc a quick 'it's ok' wink before he and Hermione were pulled out the door.

Bella grabbed Hermione's head and started to pull her along by her hair. Harry was about to speak but, before he did, Rabastan pushed him to follow.

They entered a nearby room, decked like a lounge. Lucius Malfoy and another death eater were already waiting. Bella pulled Hermione by the hair to the middle of the room, a glowering Harry being shoved along behind. Bella raised her wand to Hermione, a wicked grin on her face, while Rabastan held Harry to one side. Four more people entered the room quietly.

"Bella?"

She ignored Harry.

"Bella?"

That time, for that voice, she stopped.

Bella spun around, instantly letting go of Hermione's hair and lowering her wand in order to grovel at Voldemort's feet. "Master." She breathed happily and Hermione grimaced.

"Miss Granger, good to see you again."

Multiple mouths dropped open in shock.

Voldemort smirked and Harry laughed.

Hermione bowed. "Mister-Vold-your-my-" She kept it to a bow.

"I'm you what?" Voldemort asked innocently.

Harry fell over double in laughter at Hermione's reaction. A second voice joined him and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Sirius?" She asked, looking around for the owner of the voice.

The Black lord stepped forward from his hidden place, breathing heavily to catch his breath. Beside him, Harry was wiping tears of laughter from his eyes while forcing himself back into calmness.

"I thought you were dead?" She said, awestruck.

"Hermione, you're standing beside the dark lord and you're focusing on me?"

"We've already met." She and Voldemort answered in unison.

"Multiple times." Voldemort added.

Hermione looked at him, then turned to Harry.

"Remember the snake I got you to babysit?"

Hermione's hands flew to her mouth while Voldemort glared at Harry. Rodolphus, Sirius and his brother were clearly trying to force their laughter back down but the Malfoys and Bella looked as shocked as Hermione.

"You got that mudblood to 'babysit' the dark lord?" Bella asked.

Harry giggled. "Well he was pretending to be my pet snake." Harry answered, a mask of innocence. "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Don't call Hermione a mudblood." The still innocent voice had a dark undertone to it that made most of the people in the room shiver, except Voldemort who smiled with fatherly affection and pride.

Harry turned to Voldemort. "Hagtenskloc's here to see you." He said.

"I had noticed." The dark lord responded dryly.

"Think you should get someone to let him out before the goblins decide to call you the enemy." Harry continued. Voldemort smirked, Harry wasn't really telling him of the goblin's whereabouts.

"My lord?" Lucius bowed. "It has come to my attention that my wards have placed a guest of yours in the dungeon. Please forgive me, I will have it rectified immediately."

Voldemort inclined his head slowly and minutely. Lucius began to leave the room.

"Don't forget to let Luna out too." Harry called after him.

Lucius stopped, his eyes danced to Voldemort before settling back on Harry. He bowed and continued leaving.

"That was a lot less Slytherin than the first request, Prince." Rodolphus commented.

Harry shrugged.

"May I ask what the Lovegood girl's importance is?"

"He fancies her." Harry spun and glared at Hermione. The girl smirked.

"That would be somewhat obvious."

Harry rolled his eyes.

.

"It would appear mister Weasley has come to rescue you and your mu-ggleborn." Lucius told Harry airily. Harry nodded. "Would you like me to have him put in the dungeon or are you planning to _play along_ again?"

"I'll deal with him." Harry answered in an I'm-done-with-you,-you-can-go-now manner.

Lucius inclined his head and left.

Harry left the study and walked to Voldemort's personal library. Due to, resentment among the death eaters over her being there, Voldemort had given Hermione permission to wander, and practically live, in his library. The death eaters weren't allowed in, even Harry got chucked out from time to time. "Hermione?" Harry called.

"Yes, Harry?" Her head poked out from behind a shelf.

"Ron's here for us, you wanna go with or stay here?"

Hermione frowned. "You're leaving?"

"Only if you are. I should deal with this whole hunt for horcruxes thing but I don't think Ron could manage it on his own so, well, only if you're going."

Hermione pinned him with a stare. "You need to get over that argument. You admitted that you brought it on yourself so let Ron off a little."

Harry had the decency to look a little guilty.

"And as for the horcrux hunt. It would be a good idea to level everything out. We don't, well you don't, I don't know yet, want you-know-know to be killed for convoluted reasons."

"Big word." Harry commented.

"Oh, you're hopeless." Hermione said, throwing her hands in the air, but there was a smile on her face that matched Harry's.

"We're going, aren't we?" He said.

"We're going." She confirmed. "Did you-know-who ever tell you what the plan he's got on the go was?" She asked as she walked to meet Harry at the door.

Harry shook his head. "No. But give me ten minutes, a tube of toothpaste and one of those crazy peacocks from the front and I'll have it for you."

Hermione watched Harry leave, in a mix of confusion, amusement and a small amount of creeping concern for the dark lord. She brushed the concern off and chuckled. "You brought on yourself." She said to the empty library, choosing a book to read while she waited for Harry to return.

.

"Did you find out?"

"He wouldn't tell me." Harry answered grumpily.

"I will tell you when you need to know." Voldemort told him, entering the room behind Harry.

"And I don't need to know now?"

"Not all the details."

"Still ironing them out?" Hermione asked, she had gotten a lot more relaxed around the older wizard over the short while spent at the manor.

"Something like that, yes. Harry, I will share with you all my plans, you know that, but this particular plan requires a type of discretion that I don't think you'll be able to manage while juggling your various personas. Plus there is a high chance you may come across Dumbledore on your journeys. I doubt he has strayed too far from Hogwarts and a place of influence."

Harry nodded sourly.

"However, before you go. Take Nagini with you."

Harry frowned. "Nagini? Wouldn't that be the worst idea ever?"

/He means my youngling, Imi.\ The great snake slithered in. Hermione froze, rooted to the spot, but other than that she was calm.

/You too?\

/Master calls you it, am I wrong? Is that not your name?\

/No, but carry on. I can't stop Voldie so why should I stop you.\ Harry sighed, theatrically and Voldemort laughed. /What do you mean your youngling? You haven't had kids without me noticing have you?\

/Nagini has taken in a young snake discovered in the grounds. Nagini the second.\

/Right... I'm going to called Nagini's mini-me 'Gini. Anyone got any problems with that?\

Nagini and Voldemort laughed. /No.\ /None.\

/Good. It'll get confusing otherwise.\

"Can I know what that was about?" Hermione asked carefully.

"'Gini's coming with us." Harry answered.

"Who's 'Gini?" Hermione said.

"Good question." Harry looked pointedly at Voldemort and his familiar.

/Down here new master.\

Harry looked down. At his feet, climbing his shoe, was a small, thin snake. She couldn't be more than two feet long. Harry picked her up.

/Aren't you gorgeous.\

Voldemort smirked and the two snakes hissed happily.

"She's beautiful." Hermione commented, although she kept her distance.

"I suggest you both go down to the cells." Voldemort said, breaking the moment. "I will have Lucius lower the wards enough so that the Weasley can 'rescue' you from them."

"Okay." 'Gini slithered up Harry's sleeve and Harry shivered at the strange sensation.

The two teens left the room, heading for their original cell. On their way, they met Luna. She walked with them. When they reached the cells, Luna joined them inside.

"Luna?" Harry asked, confused.

"If the two of you are being rescued it makes sense that I am too. I'll go back to my father and tell him I'm safe. I'm sure he's been very worried."

Harry couldn't fault her thinking.

They waited for Ron. A lot of time passed and no one came.

"Do you still have that pack of cards in that pouch Hagrid gave you?" Hermione asked after yet another hour had passed and still no rescue.

"Yeah, you that bored?"

"And then some."

Harry fished in his mokeskin pouch for the cards. He couldn't find them. Confused, Harry called for the entire contents to empty onto the floor. The cards weren't there. "Sorry, Hermione. Guess I left them somewhere."

"Oh! What was that?" Hermione pointed at the mirror on the floor. It was the two way mirror Sirius had given him over Christmas in fifth year.

A familiar face flashed over its surface again and Harry had to blink.

"That looked like Dumbledore." Luna commented with no inflection.

"It kinda did. But the other mirror was with Sirius?"

"Maybe it got left at the house?" Hermione suggested.

Harry shook his head to try and dislodge the thoughts, putting everything back into the pouch.

There was a pop.

The three teens looked up.

The door opened.

"Hurry up." Ron said urgently, Dobby standing just a little behind him. "They might be back any minute."

Harry, Luna and Hermione rushed over to Ron and the house elf. There was a pop and they were in a dark, dusty room.

"How did you find us?" Hermione asked.

"Same way as we found Harry before." Ron answered. "With the put-outer. But there was a problem. I couldn't find you. I couldn't get in first of all."

Harry grimaced. Ron didn't know that the Malfoy's knew about Dobby getting them in and out last time.

"It's a good thing you got that mirror out." Ron continued. "Aberforth, that's Dumbledore's brother, bought the other one off Mundungus a while back. Bit tatty and only half of a pair but it paid off. He hung it up somewhere, right, or something like that. He saw you in it and knew where you were. Got Dobby to go get you. Dobby came to me first, mind. He'd been trying to help me but we couldn't work out what was going on. Aberforth's been a great help there. I mean, we got in didn't we?"

Hermione smiled.

"Thanks Ron." Harry said.

"Where's Aberforth now?" Hermione asked. "And where are we?"

"Hog's Head." Ron answered. "Aberforth runs it."

"Dumbledore's brother runs the Hog's Head?"

"I know, right? He's down stairs."

Ron led the trio down the stairs to the bar. Aberforth was behind the counter cleaning glasses. Harry noticed that, unlike the last time he had been there, the glasses seemed to actually be getting cleaner.

"Hey, Aberforth. They're here."

The younger Dumbledore looked up and smiled. "Good to see you all safe." He said.

"Thanks to you." Hermione said.

"Yeah, thanks."

"It's what my brother would have wanted me to do." Aberforth answered with a slight shrug.

Hermione's brow furrowed. "I thought you didn't get on?" She asked.

"We didn't but that doesn't stop us working towards the same cause."

"What cause is that?"

"I would think it is probably the same cause as you. Tell me, what do you plan to do next now that you are free again?"

Hermione looked at Harry and Harry looked back at her.

"It's alright." Ron said. "He knows about the horcruxes."

Harry and Hermione's breaths hitched.

"I guess then we're looking for the next one." Harry said as steadily as he could manage.

"I can tell you that my brother believed there to be one somewhere within Hogwarts itself, if that's of any use? Though he never seemed to know where it was hidden."

The teens considered the information for a moment.

"How do we get into Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

Aberforth chuckled and nodded his head towards the portrait of his sister hung over the bar. "Watch."

Harry knew what was going to happen before it did. Ariana walked away into the distance of the portrait. When she returned, she wasn't alone. Neville was beside her.

Ron and Hermione were stunned. While Neville quickly explained about the special ability of the Room of Requirements, Harry tuned out and watched Luna. She didn't seem surprised either.

"I guess this is goodbye for now." Hermione said, turning to both Aberforth and Luna.

Ron frowned. "Aren't you coming with us?" He asked the blonde witch.

"I'm going to find my father." Luna answered simply.

"Good luck." Harry offered. Luna smiled.

Luna didn't wait for the other teenagers to leave. She said her goodbyes and then walked out of the bar.

"An interesting girl." Aberforth commented.

"You get used to her." Ron told him.

They walked towards the open portrait.

Harry froze.

He turned around slowly. "You go on," he called over his shoulder, "I'm just going to have a chat with Dumbledore."

"His name's Aberforth, Harry."

"Yeah," Harry agreed stonily, "Aberforth."

Ron and Hermione left with Neville.

Harry waited for a little while before he spoke, waiting to see if Aberforth would start the conversation. He didn't.

"You killed your own brother?!" Harry asked once he couldn't hold it in any longer.

Aberforth shook his head sadly. "My brother was an old man, Harry. He died of natural causes."

"But you still used him."

"I took advantage of a sad passing, that was all. The opportunity was there and I took it." The older wizard caught Harry's eye. "I know you know the same. Others may not be able to see the possible good in my decision but I know it."

Harry recognised the meaning. "You know about me. And V- you-know-who."

"I do. Believe me Harry, no good can come from what you believe to be your true path. He is too far gone. I am afraid Tom merely wishes to use you to further his own plans. As I have said before, he has hoodwinked many an intelligent wizard. There is no shame in it as long as you can admit it to yourself."

Harry stared at the old man in front of him. Albus disguised as Aberforth.

"You can't see it and I don't think you ever will." Harry told him. "There's no point trying to persuade you, is there?"

"I cannot see how you could be capable of it. Tom has never been capable of love, Harry. I do not see him changing now. Let us not forget the prophecy, my boy. You are destined to defeat one another."

"Prophecies don't matter. And even if they did, that one's done. It never said we had to kill each other."

"Yes. It did. I am so sorry, Harry, but that is the price you must pay. I wish there was another way-"

"There is. You just can't see it because you're too set in your thoughts. I've already defeated the dark lord. Twice I suppose. Even more if you count those times throughout school. I defeated him when I was a baby. That was defeat. That's all it said I had to do. But I don't think that was the one it meant. No, that would be what's happening now. You said it yourself a hundred times. The dark lord doesn't love. Can't love. Doesn't understand it. Well, he does, so I guess Voldie's not the dark lord anymore.

"You need to give him a chance, not just push him down all the time like you did since he was little."

Harry stopped and Dumbledore stood considering him in silence.

_"Harry. Get out of there now. Don't forget, he may be an old fool but he is still an accomplished wizard being backed into a corner. Do not stay one second longer."_

Harry gulped. "Do you like my snake, professor?" He asked as said snake uncoiled loosely down Harry's arm to rest over the back of his hand. She stood and stared at Dumbledore. "I called her Nagini. Oh, no, wait, that's Voldemort. I call her 'Gini."

Nagini the second launched herself at Dumbledore and Harry made a beeline to the portrait. It wouldn't open, Ariana was nowhere to be seen. Harry fled out the door, mind racing for a solution.

_"The castle."_

_"Um, okay?"_

Harry raced the distance to the Hogwarts gates. The figure that met him caught him by surprise.

"McGonagall?"

The older witch smiled, lowering the wards just enough to let Harry enter before closing them again straight after.


	14. The Showdown

A New Path

AN: Another shortie I'm afraid, less than half the length I was hoping for and almost delayed. Sorry. It's a little because another story has been swimming around my head for the last week and I finally got fed up and wrote it down. So yeah, I spent the time I would have spent on this writing that instead. Hope you enjoy the new chapter.

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CHAPTER 14 - The Showdown

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"McGonagall?"

The witch smiled at Harry. "Tom contacted me a while ago to tell me you might be making a visit soon."

"Tom?"

"He didn't tell you?" McGonagall shook her head, amused. "It doesn't matter. I imagine he is still waiting for you up at the castle."

"He's what?"

McGonagall chuckled.

"Tom is up at the castle waiting for you, Harry. He has been there a while now. Follow me." She led him up the castle steps.

"He's -? In the castle -? Waiting -?" Harry was confused. "But I just left him?"

"Not quite."

Harry barely contained the jump that the unexpected voice caused. He spun around to face the owner. "But you were just..."

"Harry, you were down in the cells for hours. I left not long after you locked yourself in."

"Why here?"

Voldemort raised an eyebrow.

"And why are you wearing that thing again?"

McGonagall coughed to hide her laugh.

"You really expect me to wander through Hogwarts looking as identifiable as I look naturally?" Voldemort asked. "You're not going to pounce on me again, are you?"

Harry blushed and looked away from the blue eyes. "No." He muttered quietly.

"Good. On to the more important topics. You discovered Dumbledore."

McGonagall choked. "What? Dumbledore's alive?"

"Aberforth." Harry muttered to the ground.

"I don't believe it." The witch clutched her chest. "How could he?"

"He said his brother died of natural causes."

Voldemort scoffed. "Yeah right."

McGonagall shook her head. "Whether or not that is the truth is not important at this moment." She said. "I would imagine why he would pretend to be dead and what his current intentions are is more relevant."

Voldemort nodded. "True."

"Harry!"

Harry turned to see Hermione running down the hall to meet them. Ron, Neville and a few other students were following them.

"Hi again." Neville said when he saw the glamoured Voldemort.

Hermione glanced at him. "Are you going to introduce me?" She asked.

Harry cleared his throat. "You've already met, Hermione."

"We have?"

"Yes." Harry caught her eye.

"Oh. Oh! Uh, nice to meet you, again."

Voldemort smirked. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Granger."

Hermione blushed.

"Hermione? You know him?" Ron was looking between Harry, Hermione and Voldemort.

"We'll explain later, Ron." Harry assured him.

/Master!\

"Is that you-know-who's snake!" Someone at the back near screamed as the large serpent made her way in through the castle doors towards them. Nagini flicked her tongue in the voice's direction but other than that ignored it.

/The bearded one is on his way here.\ She told the two people capable of understanding her. /And look who I found...\ Nagini the second appeared on the older Nagini's head.

/'Gini!\ Harry cried happily. He scooped the little snake up. /Thank you. I was worried about you.\

"What happened?" Hermione asked, coming up beside Harry and the two snakes. "I thought she was up your sleeve?"

"I had an, incident at the pub. She gave me a distraction I could flee through." Harry stroked the little snake's head. "But Nagini brought her back to me."

"So that is his familiar?" Neville asked.

Harry caught McGonagall watching Voldemort in the corner of his eye. She was giving him a look that demanded an answer but Voldemort was pointedly, but discreetly, looking the other way.

"Um..." Harry hesitated. "Yes?"

"What the -? What is she doing here?" Ron asked forcefully.

"Helping us?"

"How?"

"Um... she told me that Dumbledore's on his way?"

"Dumbledore?" Several of the students asked.

"He means his brother, Aberforth." Hermione explained.

"No I don't. I mean Dumbledore. He's not dead."

"Obliviate. ...Seriously, Harry." Voldemort shook his head while all the students, including Ron but not Hermione or Neville, were standing around with glassy looks on their faces.

"Really Tom, did you really have to obliviate my students?"

Voldemort and McGonagall exchanged looks. Voldemort smirked. "Would you rather your students to be in a panic, Minny, because Mister Potter, here, is incapable of thinking before he speaks?"

Harry glared at the glamoured wizard.

"Who are you again?" Ron asked like the conversation before hadn't happened. Most of the other students seemed to have recovered too.

"A friend of Harry's, Ronald." Hermione whispered sharply.

"Only a friend?" McGonagall asked quietly, "I was under the impress you were in the process of adopting him."

"It is underway." Voldemort agreed. "Come, we should discuss the important matters somewhere more private."

"Yes. Follow me."

McGonagall walked away from the crowd of students, Voldemort following her. Harry stayed with his classmates.

"Imi. Come." Voldemort didn't even turn around.

Harry started to obey but stopped when he caught one of the foreign girls giggling. "What?"

"Possessive, isn't he?" She asked.

Harry was confused but didn't get a chance to ask what she meant because Voldemort had sent a charm at him that effectively dragged him by the collar after them.

"I'll be back in a bit." Harry called to his friends. "I think."

.

The hall was full. Everyone was watching.

It was 'the final battle'. What everyone had been waiting for.

Harry Potter versus Lord Voldemort.

Harry stood opposite the snake-faced man. Green eyes staring into red.

"So here we are, Harry. Are you going to fight me?"

Harry stared into the face of his life-long enemy. One way or another, he knew it would be the last time he saw that face.

Harry raised his wand.

Voldemort raised his.

The crowd gasped and then silence ruled once more.

Harry's hand was shaking. He didn't want to show it but he was genuinely scared. With the corner of his eye he spotted Hermione and Ron amongst a group of Weasleys; McGonagall and Snape keeping to themselves to one side off the majority; various order members that just happened to be close by and had rushed to the castle.

Voldemort cleared his throat and Harry's full attention returned to him. "Focus, Harry." Harry silently thanked Hermione for the privacy charm that meant no one else would know what was said between them. Except, perhaps, lip readers.

Harry focused on Voldemort. They were circling each other, neither wanting to be the one to throw the first curse.

"So this is what it comes down to after everything? You and me walking circles, about to curse each other?"

Voldemort chuckled darkly. "It would appear so."

Then the silence came back.

"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Harry said quietly to himself, lifting his wand just a bit higher.

Voldemort seemed to take that as a go. "Avada kedavra."

_"Oh sh-"_"Expelliarmus!"

Harry tried to duck the familiar green spell, his red reply hurtling towards Voldemort.

There was a deafening silence...

...And then the crowd roared in cheer.

The few death eaters that had been present tried to flee, the order members instantly chasing them.

Harry turned back towards his enemy. Voldemort was on the floor, not moving. Harry stared, his lip quivering. He turned his gaze to the wand in his hand, Draco's. The young Malfoy hadn't been happy when Harry had turned up and disarmed him, but it had been for a worthy cause.

Voldemort had stolen the Dumbledore's wand from the man's grave. Or more correctly, he had stolen the elder wand from Aberforth's grave.

Harry had gone back to Dumbledore, tried to apologise. Dumbledore had been cautious but forgiving, telling Harry what he had to do. The elder wand would respond to its owner whether in the hand of another or not. Voldemort was not that owner, nor was he, Dumbledore, any more. Due to the events on top of the tower that fateful night, Draco was now its true owner. If Harry were to disarm Draco and use the boy's wand when he faced Voldemort, Dumbledore had said, the elder wand would recognise Harry as its true owner, refusing to obey Voldemort. Harry had nodded and gone to find Draco.

The privacy charm had clearly fallen because the sounds of the crowd were smothering Harry. He had to get out.

Hermione tried to grab him as he passed but Harry shook her off. He could tell she was confused, the last she knew, Harry and Voldemort had been practically family.

Harry fled through the masses of cheering and stunned people. He passed a death eater being taken to a classroom that, it appeared, had become a sort of temporary cell.

As he turned to see the man being dragged in his binds by an auror, Harry caught sight of some of the order members moving something. As he looked closer, Harry saw that they were moving Voldemort's body out of the hall to somewhere less open. Harry almost ran in the opposite direction just to get away.

.

Slowly, Harry walked to the dorms. He was tired, mentally and physically. No one followed him and, for that, he was grateful.

When he reached his old dorm room, Harry pushed the door open and headed straight for the bed. He threw himself down, closing his eyes before he even hit the pillow.

Silence.

Blissful silence.

And peace.

Nothing to pester him and steal his sleep.

"Are you just going to ignore me?"

Harry groaned into his pillow. "Yes."

The once-Voldemort walked up to the bed beside Harry's and sat down, waiting.

After a moment's stubborn stillness, Harry rolled onto his side so that he could see the man. "You look good for a dead man." He said seriously and with as straight a face as he could maintain.

"Funny." 'Voldemort' did not look amused.

"So, Voldie -"

"Tom."

"- Tom - seriously? Tom? - So, Tom, what's the doings now?"

Tom stared at the teen before answering. "Minny and Severus are dealing with the students as we speak. You're friends are with their families, apart from Hermione who, last I saw, was wandering between the groups. And, doing nothing for my self-esteem, almost everyone seems to be celebrating."

Harry laughed, he couldn't help it.

"It's not funny." Tom sounded affronted.

"But it is." Harry argued.

Tom scoffed and broke eye contact with the younger wizard.

"We still have to deal with Dumbledore." Harry reminded him.

Tom nodded. "He won't stay quiet for long." He agreed.

He stood up and walked over to Harry's bed, sitting on the edge. Harry sat upright and pulled the man further onto the bed.

"That fake spell really scared me. I thought it was real." Harry laid his head on Tom's shoulder. The older wizard glanced down at him tentatively but then held him. "It will be OK. He'll understand, I'll make sure of it."

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AN: I tried to end on a 'aw...' note. Did it work? According to my plan, there are only two more chapters to go. That said, I've strayed a little from the original plot, so who knows. Fair warning, the next update may be slow to arrive.


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